BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0: a big update for RIM’s tablet – The Verge

BlackBerry 4G PlayBook photos show up with BBM preloaded

2012-04-06T05:50:07-04:00

blackberry playbook 4g (crackberry)

The BlackBerry PlayBook was supposed to have three "4G" varieties - LTE, HSPA+, and WiMAX - but the Wi-Fi-only model was the only RIM tablet ever to see release. That doesn't mean it was the only model to be manufactured, though, and a few units appear to have "fallen into the hands" of CrackBerry forum user Fakedeadmau5. His story as to how he acquired the devices is a little murky, but the photos appear to check out. Fakedeadmau5 didn't have a 4G SIM of any variety, so details of how the mobile data functionality actually works are still unclear, as well as exactly which model we're looking at here.

More interesting than the hardware, how …

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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 review

2012-02-23T16:00:52-05:00

PlayBook 2.0 hero2 (1024px)

When we reviewed the BlackBerry PlayBook back in April, we couldn't help feeling the device's insides didn't match its outsides. The PlayBook is a well-built, good-looking device, but its software was buggy, frustrating, and frankly unfinished. There was no email or calendar app (yes, really), and few apps of any kind to speak of.

PlayBook 2.0, a software update released this week, is RIM's attempt to solve many of those problems. It adds email, calendar, and contact apps, finally making the PlayBook a functional standalone device - before, if you didn't have a BlackBerry to connect to the PlayBook, there wasn't much you could do with your …

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BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 released with native email and Android app support

2012-02-21T05:02:02-05:00

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0

When we took a look at the BlackBerry PlayBook 2.0 OS back at CES, we called it "the most polished version of the PlayBook OS yet." Whether that's enough to turn sales around for the tablet is quite another matter, but it does show that RIM is able to push out new versions of the OS that is going to eventually form the basis of BlackBerry 10.

The biggest new feature is that RIM is finally including a native email client on the PlayBook, which features a unified inbox, tabs, and a rich text editor. Along with the email client, the PlayBook 2.0 OS will also pull relationship and event information from multiple sources into built-in Contacts and …

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Updated Bridge software turns your BlackBerry into a Bluetooth remote for PS3, PC, Android tablets, and more

2012-02-21T03:58:41-05:00

blackberry bridge

Say what you want about RIM's recent travails - the company does have at least a few dedicated users who can't bear the thought of life away from their hardware keyboards. Well, with the updated version of BlackBerry Bridge coming alongside PlayBook OS 2.0 you'll be able to use your BlackBerry phones to control any number of devices, from the PlayStation 3 to the Motorola Xoom. It works over Bluetooth HID, and seems to be pretty easy to set up, with no app required on the other end. Of course, the main reason for BlackBerry Bridge to exist is to make the PlayBook and BlackBerry phone a more powerful pair, so we'll have to see if there's anyt …

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BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update to roll out Tuesday, February 21st?

2012-02-17T17:28:19-05:00

Gallery Photo: BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 pictures

RIM recently confirmed that its PlayBook tablet would receive its new 2.0 operating system upgrade in "February," but now there may be a date and time. According to documents obtained by Engadget, PlayBook owners will be able to download the update over-the-air starting at 4:01AM on Tuesday, February 21st - well before RIM's self-imposed deadline. We detailed the upgrade at CES in January, which will finally bring native email, contacts, and calendar apps to the tablet. Other improvements include upgrades to the keyboard and homescreen layouts, and the ability to use a BlackBerry device as a keyboard and mouse. Oh, and don't forget Android ap …

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BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 ‘likely’ to launch during MWC

2012-02-15T16:26:43-05:00

Gallery Photo: BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 pictures

Initially announced at CES, version 2.0 of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS is finally set to launch during Mobile World Congress at the end of this month. According to Senior Brand Manager Jeff Gadway in an interview with PC Magazine, the update will be available "very soon" and is likely to go live during MWC, which kicks off on February 27 and will have a fairly large RIM presence. RIM had initially planned ro release the update in February so a launch during MWC would be cutting it pretty close. The 400MB update, which will be pushed automatically to all PlayBooks once live, will introduce a number of new features to the OS, including several …

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RIM handing out free BlackBerry PlayBooks to Android app developers

2012-02-03T00:14:59-05:00

via cdn1.sbnation.com

The BlackBerry PlayBook launched at $499, was cut to $199, then $99 for employees, and likely has a successor on the way, so you'd think the story might be over, right? Well, it's now available for the low low price of free to Android developers who register and submit an app to BlackBerry App World by February 13th. A tweet by Alec Saunders, RIM's VP of developer relations revealed the offer, with developers simply needing to email the name of their app to developeroutreachprogram@rim.com. The PlayBook added limited Android app support in an effort to shore up its lineup, but it's not a good sign if developers are needing this much encourag …

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BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0: hands-on impressions, pictures, and video

2012-01-10T13:02:33-05:00

BlackBerry Playbook OS 2.0

RIM formally announced PlayBook OS 2.0 yesterday, and I met with the product's senior marketing manager Jeff Gadway to check out all the features in the new operating system. Version 2.0 finally brings a native mail client to the BlackBerry tablet, along with calendar and contact apps. RIM also made some general aesthetic changes, and added a bulked-up version of BlackBerry Bridge and an eerily familiar "reading view" feature in the browser.

This is the most polished version of the PlayBook OS yet - not to mention the most full-featured. The homescreen has been refined, including drag-and-drop app rearrangement and the inclusion of folders. …

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BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0: RIM details new features

2012-01-09T10:39:58-05:00

PlayBook

RIM has announced that it will show off version 2.0 of the BlackBerry Playbook OS here at CES 2012 which will become available in February. This version finally brings a native email client to RIM's tablet, complete with unified inbox and tab-based navigation for keeping multiple messages open simultaneously. It also has a rich text editor - something not often seen on mobile devices - and support for setting auto-responders and signatures right from the PlayBook itself. (For those wondering, there's still no BBM.) Similar to webOS, the PlayBook OS now pulls in and consolidates contact information from multiple social networks and email acco …

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BlackBerry PlayBook native email, contacts, calendar pictured

2011-11-22T17:59:48-05:00

BlackBerry PlayBook native email

We saw some leaked images of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 a few months ago, and now BlackBerry Cool has shots of the native email, contacts, and calendar features, all taken yesterday at the BlackBerry Innovation Forum. There's not much to the pics, but they do show pinch-to-zoom in email, calendar numbers that grow in size as your scheduled appointments increase, and an enhanced contacts section that integrates inboxes and social networks. RIM also mentioned a PlayBook keyboard accessory that should come in handy for all this added functionality. With these new apps on the way and the recently announced price drop, the PlayBook could be a nic …

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