RIM says PlayBook is still ‘great’ without tethered BlackBerry smartphone

One of the biggest criticisms of RIM’s upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook so far is the tablet’s need to be tethered to a BlackBerry smartphone in order to perform certain functions. Specifically, the PlayBook must be connected wirelessly to a BlackBerry smartphone in order to access PIM-related functions such as calendar, contacts and memos

The tablet also won’t be able to send or receive corporate email using its native email application without being tethered to a BlackBerry phone. “On its own, this is a great standalone tablet,” RIM’s senior product manager in charge of the PlayBook Ryan Bidan told Forbes in an interview. “This is not a device that is reliant on a BlackBerry.” Biden goes on to say that the PlayBook is a solid tablet “in its own right” and that it extends both the mobile and laptop experiences for users. Unfortunately, Biden fails to address critics’ complaints specifically, saying only that PIM functions indepenent of a tethered BlackBerry smartphone “will come as the platform evolves.”
via[BGR]

The BlackBerry Storm 3 spy Pics and will be release around September

What about it, commenters? Will it be worth it to wait until September for the BlackBerry Storm 3?
The BlackBerry Storm 3 has been whispered about and wondered about for months, but now there’s a murky trio of spy pics of RIM’s elusive smartphone for you to peruse.

A massive leak uncovered many of the mysteries of this upcoming smartphone from Research In Motion, said by BGR to be on its way in September.
and here is the features as they clam it will be:

• 1.2GHz processor
• 3.7-inch 800 x 480 capacitive display
• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
• Tri-band UMTS/HSPA
• 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording
• 8GB eMMC (storage for apps and data), 512MB of RAM
• microSD slot
• Magnetometer
• Proximity sensor
• Accelerometer
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• 2.4GHz b/g/n and 5GHz a/n Wi-Fi + UMA
• 3G Mobile hotspot
• Optical trackpad
• 1230 mAh battery
• BlackBerry OS 6.1
• OpenGL ES 2.0

The BlackBerry Storm 3 looks good for a release around September of this year, and from what we have been told, the Storm 3 will launch in two or possibly three versions globally.

Images courtesy of BGR
via [Mashable ]

RIM Attacks Apple -- Puts PlayBook VS. iPad in Browser Test [VIDEO]

Today RIM (Research in Motion) posted a side-by-side video of their PlayBook vs. Apple’s iPad to show the browsing ability and speeds the PlayBook has to offer. There were three different tests, they tested both of them in raw web-site rendering, Acid3, and Java. The results are very exciting and unbelievable.

RIM's Playbook loads pages faster than the iPad and has full flash capabilities considerig you don't have Flash on iPad.

So, Apple, let's hope we see iPad 2nd generation versus this RIM's Playbook as the two devices will be in the same level of technician.

Oh, forgot to tell you that Jim Balsillie, Co-CEO of Research In Motion said in an interview at the Web 2 Summit in San Francisco that unlike Apple, “you don’t have to go through a closed platform of an SDK. You don’t need an app for the web.” What do you think? [via TiPB]

RIM to Sell BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet for Under $500 to Take on iPad

Research In Motion, RIM, unveiled their would-be iPad killer Blackberry Playbook, back in September during their annual Developer Conference. The 7-inch tablet boasts lots of new features we already covered before.

Early this morning, a BusinessWeek report claims that Blackberry Playbook will be sold under $500 to take on iPad. Here's the official statement:

Research In Motion Ltd., the maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, said it will begin selling a tablet computer in North America in the first quarter for "under" $500 as it takes on Apple Inc.'s iPad.

"The product will be very competitively priced," Co-Chief Executive Officer Jim Balsillie said in an interview in Seoul today, declining to be more specific. Sales of the BlackBerry Playbook, unveiled in September, will expand globally from the second quarter, he said.

So, will you get the Playbook when it hit the stores? I sure will!

The BlackBerry Playbook Really Exists

Last week we told you that RIM unveiled BlackBerry Playbook to compete with Apple's iPad. I saw some posts spreading on the web saying "The BlackBerry PlayBook Doesn't Exist" but the fact is it really exists. Below you can see a real RIM’s Playbook prototype totally reviewed and compared with the iPad.

The Size
This thing is tiny in comparison to the iPad, just take a look at the picture below.

I am not sure that I am a fan of the size, it just isn’t quite big enough to feel more useful that the iPhone yet far too small to feel like a good laptop substitution.

The Screen
The screen is amazing on this device, there is absolutely no glare, it has a very paper like quality to it. It doesn’t matter what kind of light you have it in, no reflections or glare. That though is a major problem because this device needs some light – well a lot of light. In the model that I am testing the backlight either is broken or eludes this testers ability to turn it on.

The resolution of the screen is also very poor, the pixel count looks high (print[er] quality even) but the graphics look like an iPhone app running at 2x mode on the iPad – just not good enough.

The Build Quality
Overall the build is rather interesting – the device almost feels like it has some kind of cloth tape wrapping on it. It feels very rigid, about as rigid as 3 pieces of cardboard perhaps but I am just guessing here. There is still a lot of work to be done though as these three things really bug me right now:

* The screen is not perfectly centered.
* The device is not perfectly squared on the corners.
* The cloth tape like material shows it seems all over the place.

This though I have to remember is a prototype and one would assume that all these things will be fixed by the time the Playbook hits production.

Battery Life
I have had the screen on non-stop (how do you turn it off?) and it has been connected to Wi-Fi the entire time the battery life has not budget from 75% in the past 58 hours of testing. Very impressive.

The Weight
This thing weighs nothing, again it weighs about the same amount as three pieces of cardboard with tape on it. Honestly if they can keep it this weight when it hits production then I am sold.

The OS
This OS looks really swell, which is about all that I can say about it. I cannot for the life of me get the device to respond or do anything for that matter, it is stuck with the app switching screen being shown. In talking with someone who did not deny to me that they are a RIM executive (perhaps the CEO) said that it only works if you have a Blackberry and not a crappy iPhone. So it appears that RIM has done an impressive job of locking up the OS unless it detects that the owner also has a Blackberry – kudos to RIM on the feat.

Overall
Without being able to test the OS it is hard to say just how good this device is. What I can say is the the battery life, anti-reflective coatings on the screen and the weight of this device are highly impressive. If they keep these features in the production model it will kill the iPad.

[Source: BooksReview] 

RIM Unveils BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet, Here's Full Specs, Features and Release Date

RIM (Research in Motion) today has unveiled a new and unbelievable device to compete with Apple's iPad with 1GB RAM, 1Ghz Dual Core processor, 1080p HD video playback and HDMI output. Lazaridis described the device as “the first professional tablet,” and I can say the same.

Here are the specs:

• 7″ LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch and gesture support
• BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
• 1 GHz dual-core processor
• 1 GB RAM
• Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD video recording
• Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
• Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
• HDMI video output
• Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
• Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5, Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL, Java
• Measures 5.1″x7.6″x0.4″ (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
• Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)

Official Press Release:

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA–(Marketwire – 09/27/10) – BlackBerry DEVCON 2010 -

Editors Note: There is a video and two photos available with this Press Release.

Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM – News)(TSX:RIM – News) today redefined the possibilities for mobile computing with the unveiling of its new professional-grade BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet and BlackBerry® Tablet OS.

Perfect for either large organizations or an "army of one", the BlackBerry PlayBook is designed to give users what they want, including uncompromised web browsing, true multitasking and high performance multimedia, while also providing advanced security features, out-of-the-box enterprise support and a breakthrough development platform for IT departments and developers. The incredibly powerful and innovative BlackBerry PlayBook is truly a game-changing product in the growing tablet marketplace.

"RIM set out to engineer the best professional-grade tablet in the industry with cutting-edge hardware features and one of the world’s most robust and flexible operating systems," said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. "The BlackBerry PlayBook solidly hits the mark with industry leading power, true multitasking, uncompromised web browsing and high performance multimedia."

The Tablet You’ll Want to Take Everywhere

This beautifully designed and incredibly powerful tablet is ultra portable, ultra thin and super convenient for both work and play. Measuring less than half an inch thick and weighing less than a pound, the BlackBerry PlayBook features a vivid 7" high resolution display that looks and feels great in your hand. With such a unique mix of utility, performance and portability, you’ll want to take it everywhere.

The New Benchmark in Tablet Performance

At its heart, the BlackBerry PlayBook is a multitasking powerhouse. Its groundbreaking performance is jointly fueled by a 1 GHz dual-core processor and the new BlackBerry Tablet OS which supports true symmetric multiprocessing. Together, the abundant processing power and highly sophisticated OS enable the BlackBerry PlayBook to provide users with true multitasking and a highly-responsive and fluid touch screen experience for apps and content services.

Uncompromised Web Browsing

With support for Adobe® Flash® Player 10.1, Adobe® Mobile AIR® and HTML-5, the BlackBerry PlayBook provides customers with an uncompromised, high-fidelity web experience and offers them the ability to enjoy all of the sites, games and media on the web. For more than a decade, the mobile industry has worked to bridge the gap between the "real web" and mobile devices through various apps and technologies and, in fact, a significant number of mobile apps today still simply serve as a proxy for web content that already exists on the web. The BlackBerry PlayBook closes that gap and brings the real, full web experience to mobile users while also opening new and more exciting opportunities for developers and content publishers.

High Performance Multimedia

The BlackBerry PlayBook features premium multimedia features to support high-quality mobile experiences. It includes dual HD cameras for video capture and video conferencing that can both record HD video at the same time, and an HDMI-out port for presenting one’s creations on external displays. The BlackBerry PlayBook also offers rich stereo sound and a media player that rivals the best in the industry.

BlackBerry Integration

For those BlackBerry PlayBook users who carry a BlackBerry smartphone(i), it will also be possible to pair their tablet and smartphone using a secure Bluetooth® connection. This means they can opt to use the larger tablet display to seamlessly and securely view any of the email, BBM™, calendar, tasks, documents and other content that resides on (or is accessible through) their smartphone. They can also use their tablet and smartphone interchangeably without worrying about syncing or duplicating data. This secure integration of BlackBerry tablets and smartphones is a particularly useful feature for those business users who want to leave their laptop behind.

Enterprise Ready

Thanks to the seamless and secure Bluetooth pairing experience and the highly secure underlying OS architecture, the BlackBerry PlayBook is enterprise ready and compatible (out-of-the-box) with BlackBerry® Enterprise Server
. When connected over Bluetooth, the smartphone content is viewable on the tablet, but the content actually remains stored on the BlackBerry smartphone and is only temporarily cached on the tablet (and subject to IT policy controls). With this approach to information security, IT departments can deploy the BlackBerry PlayBook to employees out-of-the-box without worrying about all the security and manageability issues that arise when corporate data is stored on yet another device.

QNX Neutrino Reliability

The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built upon the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture, one of the most reliable, secure and robust operating system architectures in the world. Neutrino has been field hardened for years and is being used to support mission-critical applications in everything from planes, trains and automobiles to medical equipment and the largest core routers that run the Internet. The new BlackBerry Tablet OS leverages and builds upon the many proven strengths of this QNX Neutrino architecture to support a professional grade tablet experience and to redefine the possibilities for mobile computing.

An OS Built for Developers

The Neutrino based microkernel architecture in the BlackBerry Tablet OS delivers exceptional performance, high scalability, Common Criteria EAL 4+ security, and support for industry standard tools that are already familiar to hundreds of thousands of developers. The OS is fully POSIX compliant enabling easy portability of C-based code, supports Open GL for 2D and 3D graphics intensive applications like gaming, and will run applications built in Adobe Mobile AIR as well as the new BlackBerry® WebWorks™ app platform announced today (which will allow apps to be written to run on BlackBerry PlayBook tablets as well as BlackBerry smartphones with BlackBerry® 6). The BlackBerry Tablet OS will also support Java enabling developers to easily bring their existing BlackBerry 6 Java applications to the BlackBerry Tablet OS environment.

Key features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook include:
– 7" LCD, 1024 x 600, WSVGA, capacitive touch screen with full multi-touch
and gesture support
– BlackBerry Tablet OS with support for symmetric multiprocessing
– 1 GHz dual-core processor
– 1 GB RAM
– Dual HD cameras (3 MP front facing, 5 MP rear facing), supports 1080p HD
video recording
– Video playback: 1080p HD Video, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV
– Audio playback: MP3, AAC, WMA
– HDMI video output
– Wi-Fi – 802.11 a/b/g/n
– Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
– Connectors: microHDMI, microUSB, charging contacts
– Open, flexible application platform with support for WebKit/HTML-5,
Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Adobe Mobile AIR, Adobe Reader, POSIX, OpenGL,
Java
– Ultra thin and portable:
– Measures 5.1"x7.6"x0.4" (130mm x 193mm x 10mm)
– Weighs less than a pound (approximately 0.9 lb or 400g)
– Additional features and specifications of the BlackBerry PlayBook will
be shared on or before the date this product is launched in retail
outlets.
– RIM intends to also offer 3G and 4G models in the future.

Availability

The BlackBerry PlayBook is expected to be available in retail outlets and other channels in the United States in early 2011 with rollouts in other international markets beginning in (calendar) Q2.

RIM will begin working with developers and select corporate customers next month to begin development and early testing efforts.

The BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK is planned for release in the coming weeks and developers can register for early access at www.blackberry.com/developers/tabletos.

For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/playbook.

RIM BlackBerry PlayBook will hit the stores early in 2011 with the iPad 2G which is promised to be announced at the same time. Watch the video below see how fantastic and unbelievable is the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Stay tuned with us early on 2011. [via DigitalDaily]

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Tawkon App Shows Death Grip on iPhone, BlackBerry, Nexus One [Video]

Tawkon shows us "Death Grip" on iPhone, BlackBerry and Nexus One. This app for BlackBerry, Android and iPhone (Release soon) uses algorithms to determine how much radiation is being emitted from your cellular device. From the official blog,

As you can see in our quick demo, this phenomenon is not exclusive to the iPhone – the way you hold the phone – and specifically blocking the receiver – increases the transmission power of the phone to maintain good cellular connectivity, and thereby increases radiation levels you’re exposed to.

There are many other factors influencing radiation levels – such as your location, operators network load, your phone model SAR levels, etc – but during this demo we made an effort to keep changing factors constant so we could isolate and see the impact of the Death Grip on several different phones.

Here's the demo that he is talking about, check it yourself


Apple has already taken about other devices and published videos of Antenna Problems on Nokia N97  and others after Apple opened it's Antenna Labs and Antenna Site!
[via Tawkon]