Mystery Pond HD [PlayBook], Droplets HD [PlayBook], Brain Cube Premium [PlayBook & Handheld] all just $0.99! This sale will only run for ONE WEEK! Go stock up now! See all titles below.

XiMAD Games $0.99 Sale here!

ReadOnTouch PRO Features -
All this plus everything you read here is included:

° Create new account from within the app
° Full image support!
° Watch embedded videos directly in the article view (only with internet connection)
° Full offline support
° Five (5) different themes
° Configurable line-spacing to font-dialog
° Different font-families and -sizes
° Special fullscreen mode: tap twice on the article-view to hide / unhide the toolbars!
° Refill article list with old items if article-limit is not reached
° Scrollbar in article-view
° Remembers last read article and position
° Help-dialog
° Create PDF (with images!) of article via share-icon!
° Support for landscape and portrait mode
° Built-in webbrowser to view articles inline
° Menu-dialog now opens also via onswipedown event
° Share items via mail and social networks

Here is the latest changelog:
° Changed: way improved “add link” dialog. checks clipboard on playbook for existing link!
° Changed: improved handling of double-tap to maximize article view. Should happen less accidently now!
° Changed: removed not working bbalpha font and added dejavu serif!


We’ve all got one, two or many blogs that we love to frequent. So let’s dive into ReadOnTouch right from point A: start-up. First thing you’ll need to do is set-up an account at Pocket. This can be achieved one of 2 ways. Either within the application itself, or by going to getpocket.com/ and takes about 2 minutes.

Once you get that out of the way you can begin adding blogs/feeds to the app. This is a simple process as well. From the app view you will see the ‘Add a new article” icon – a little ribbon marker with a + sign in the bottom left area beneath the blogroll. Touch this icon to add your favorite urls/rss feeds. Both ways work.

Now here’s where I fell in love: With ReadOnTouch PRO you can quickly toggle between both Article & Web view. This means you can either choose to read just the articles you want (which are shown in one of 5 themes, various fonts, sizes etc) or you can see a full vibrant web view! Which is too cool for words. In the web view you can also pick and choose what to read but in that native view your used to with which ever blog you fancy.

The idea behind being offline means you can sync up ReadOnTouch at say 9am, then at noon you can pull the PlayBook out and read up on all the posts from the morning without wi-fi, bridge etc. All the goods are right there for you already.

Sven Ziegler, developer for the application doesn’t shy on the features either. How can I put this? Custom, custom, custom! Find the Article-View Settings icon 2nd icon on the bottom right dock. It has a big A/little a click this to customize the Fonts, Line spacing, Font family (4 total), Theme (5 total), toggle Fixed width views. Hold your PlayBook how you like with custom orientations (portrait or landscape), customized filters which include tags. So much love for the user here. I’ve had the app for just 4 days and already we’ve seen 2 updates. Both have introduced more custom features.

Other notable treats include: Share by, Email, Create PDF via Email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ & Buffer. Hit the Tool icon in the top left to launch the Main Menu. In the Menu: Preferences & Accounts, Quick-Start Guide, Help, Show Changelog, About, Rate Me!, More Apps by this Developer. From the blogroll of your websites/feeds you can touch any of the titles and with a quick swipe left – ‘Mark this item unread’ and quick swipe right – ‘Mark this item read’. Find the circular arrow icons within the app to refresh both individual feeds or the entire app.

You’re all going to be pumped too when you realize all of this will only set you back $1.99! I probably missed a few features even. But the bottom line is ReadOnTouch PRO impressed me so much that I pushed it up to the home dock in my PlayBook. $2 well spent. Check it out below.

Pick up ReadOnTouch PRO from your PlayBook here!

With the release of that “summer vampire” movie , they have put Vampires vs. Hunter ON SALE for a limited-time-only offer. For only $1.99, that’s 60% off – you can have hours of blood-thirsty battles defending your castle from the Vampire Lord and his demonic creatures!

Features:

° Engaging audio and visual experience

° 3 unique game boards

° 45 levels of intense vampire hunting gameplay

° Progress and earn new weapons and defences to fend off more challenging enemies

Pick up Vampires vs Hunter ON SALE here!

Alex K. tweeted: “@BlackBerryDev: We’re getting the update for BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha ready – make sure your requests are in the issue tracker” -http://t.co/BNSYEH15 ^AKDoesn’t get much clearer than that. Honestly I didn’t expect they would issue an update so quickly. But I’m not about to complain. As most users & developers know already the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha came only with the Browser and Camera apps pre-installed. The idea is for developers to want to use this as a tool and not a “new device” just yet. However there have been some concerns when developing some apps which require access to more features.

Regardless of what RIM brings with this update, it’s difficult not to realize just how clever it was for them to put these devices into the very people’s hands that can truly offer up something unique near the launch of BB10, and not just 6 months after the initial release.

Those who do have a BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha unit please be sure to track and/or leave any issues, requests or feedback to the Developer Issue Tracker here: http://us.blackberry.com/developers/resources/issuetracker/

What’s New in v4.1.2:

° FIXED! A recent change to the box servers caused a problem downloading newer files.
° NEW! Sort folders by name, type, extension, size, date, ascending or descending.
° NEW! Swipe from left to right to navigate to the parent folder.
° NEW! Files & Folders can now be protected with a startup password.
° NEW! Optionally keep the screen on: never, while active or only while in the slide show.
° ENHANCED! When searching, the left pane now displays the location of the selected file.
° ENHANCED! More performance improvements.

Update/Purchase Files & Folders for BlackBerry PlayBook here!

The latest BlackBerry Beta Zone Facebook update brings:
- Change Log (3.1.0.9)

° Status Cleared notification doesn’t make sense
° Update help URLs for Facebook 3.1
° Got a state that could not exit Facebook setup wizard if Facebook opened from other access points
° No photo on post
° Facebook does not update while on Wi-Fi. Mobile Wi-Fi does work however.
° App takes very long time to refresh comments.
° Clicking “resend” on a status update doesn’t seem to work
° Focus is lost after scrolling thru a very long post.
° Likes count incorrect in Likes list if launched from stagnant comment screen
° Doesn’t work on Wi-Fi only connection
° Send icon is missing in command screen
° User is not able to scroll to Facebook title bar to open navigation screen on the new chat conversation screen if cursor is not at the beginning of text box
° Comments for Notes are limited to 1000 characters while on the web the limit is 8000
° Event Created By lists incorrect name
° BBM Text for check in is not localization friendly and might cause issues in other languages
° Focus order on comment page
° Focus jumps to the top of the notifications list after marking an unopened notification as opened

Grab the latest Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones beta update here!

FREE Content Packs Available:
° Valentine
° Pop Art
° The 50′s
° Christmas
° 8-bit
° Cut-Outs
° Travel
° Shabby Chic
° 3D (NEW)

Scrapbook is easy to use and made for everyone. You can add just about any image from your PlayBook. Trick out some personal photos in one app then load up your favorites in Scrapbook. You can resize, add stickers, tweak the layout, then send the final results to Facebook. Trust us when we say, all your iPhone, Android wielding friends will be jealous! But some apps are just for BlackBerry! Download as many Free Packs you like. More info below.

Source: bbin.in

Download Scrapbook FREE from your PlayBook here!

beExecutor comes packed with 8 different sound effects sounds: Bomb, Explosions, Siren, Machine Gun, Phasers, Lasers, Falls & a Gatling Gun. Let’s just say I handed the Bold to my boys (ages 6-9) and they fought over it.The nostalgic beExecutor app will set you back just $0.99 and is compatible with all touch-screen BlackBerry’s running OS 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 & 7.1. Developed by Generation Media Group. Check it out below.

Grab bExecutor for your touch-screen BlackBerry here!

“Yes, we’ve updated VCMS and added some cool new features and support for BlackBerry 7 devices. I can now say that VCMS is GPS based speed meter with features no other app for BB offers. Yes, I mean it! We already had speed meter, compass, two trip counters, location and time in it, but now we’ve added new features” – i-Mentalist

NEW Features:

° lap timer
° social networks (including BBM on BB7 devices)
° statistics (you can export it and import them to google maps (or similar) and check your routes)
° maximum speed
° average speed
° speed alarms (yes, not alarm but alarms)

If you didn’t catch our original review of VCMS, be sure to see it here. This is still one of the most original and fun apps I’ve seen on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Cool that they saw fit to bring it BlackBerry 7 users too.

Most BlackBerry 7 devices are compatible Bold 9790, Bold 9900, Bold 9930, Bold 9981, Torch 9810, Torch 9850 & Torch 9860. If your rocking a BlackBerry PlayBook too you’ll be happy to know VCMS runs on all Tablets 1.0 & higher.

Remember if your going to use this app to race your car, boat, airplane, glider etc do so safely. It will help to have your device secured in place, but won’t take away from the enjoyment if you don’t. VCMS is $2.99 available in App World below.

Update/Purchase VCMS for PlayBook or BlackBerry 7 here!

Really the market for this type of app is and will always be wealthy people. This reminds me of an episode of Weeds where Nancy takes some regular chronic weed, maybe a widow strain, hybrid or who knows and she puts $20.00 worth in some cute little dollar store boxes, ties a little bow on them and gets ready to go out. She shows up at an “exclusive party” where she and crew bump heads with the “elite.” She jokes that these are a bunch of rich people that will buy anything you put a bow on, a restriction and call “limited.” And guess what? She’s right. She tells some people they can’t buy more than 2 boxes. Tells others the weed was grown in a special area and well you get the picture. But can this same type of marketing work when selling applications to smartphone users?

Apparently there’s a couple developers that seem to think so. Head over to BlackBerry App World and search “Limited edition clock” to see what pops up. I went ahead and did the dirty work for you there and here.

If you haven’t seen these “Limited edition”, “HQ”, “Timepieces” before go a head and take a moment to mull them over. They range from $49.99, $499.99 & $599.99. The first time I saw one I figured it was just a typo. However this is not. They are described to be a unique designer timepiece for your desktop. There’s no reviews from what I can see. Most people would ignore them. But what if you accidentally purchased an app for $500? What would you do? And do you think app stores should put a cap on pricing apps/games etc? Let us know your thoughts. Have you seen other products like this?

There’s easily something for everyone here. For example: Where’s Wally Now, The Adventures of Tintin, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline & many many more! Check out the full list below!

Gameloft Handheld Sale – 31 Games $0.99 each here!

Rolling out first is Fresco. A theme previously released on OS 5.0 & 6.0 here. The new version for OS 7.0 devices: Curve 9350, 9360, 9370, Bold 9900, 9930. (Torch 9810, 9850, 9860 currently in beta COMING SOON).

Fresco is surely fresh. The definition: 1. Also called buon fresco, true fresco. the art or technique of painting on a moist, plaster surface with colors ground up in water or a limewater mixture. Compare fresco secco. 2. a picture or design so painted.

Like other Pootermobile themes Fresco offers new icons, a cool new banner across the top with Time, Signal, a weather spot. and a clever Battery meter ribbon. Other tweaks include menus, buttons, focus and the Media Player!

Pooter talks about why he can’t customize the way we once knew back in the OS 5.0 & 6.0 days. Unfortunately it just creates more issues everywhere. I’m not complaining. I’ve grown on simple but cohesive themes like this one. Fresco looks great with 3rd party icons even. Glad to see Pooter back in action for the today users too.

Pick up Fresco for $1.99 at the link below. And keep your eyes pealed for a handful of other themes coming very soon from theworldofpootermobile.com.

Grab Fresco OS7 for your handheld here!

iNEW7 is a great looking theme. All icons that can be skinned are skinned. Homescreen features a cool am/pm graphic style, custom battery & signal meters. The theme is also On SALE for $1.99 (down from regular $3.99 price).

It’s so cool to see developers like Walker Themes take so much time to bring a theme like this to life for not only OS 7.x users but still making sure his OS 5.0 & 6.0 users can get a copy. You won’t see that a whole lot anymore. And just because most of us have the newer devices, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still some grateful users on older OS’s.

As for the UI of iNEW7 I’m sure most users can see the reference to another platform. He’s done a good job bringing his own angle to the icons including the slick shadowing and boxy tiles. Feels good to click on the icons just to open em up. For me a great theme is one you can practically feel the art coming alive under your finger tips. Walker owns the night when it comes to breathing new life into the regular old BlackBerry theme that users have to stare down everyday depending on your OS.

Other features like the BB Menu and Homescreen Panel are transparent giving more view to every bit of the theme. Walker Themes always brings wallpaper friendly themes to the table. iNEW7 is no different. Pricing down to $1.99 for launch is just another win imo.

Grab iNEW7 for OS 5.0, 6.0, 7.x here!

5:30 AM is often considered an ungodly hour, especially when sleep doesn’t start until 11 PM or later the previous day. Even when it’s a fairly regular wake-up time, it’s still brutal. Well, when I have to be an hour’s drive away by 7:50 and need an hour plus to get moving and semi-functioning, 5:30 is when my alarm clock goes off.

Needless to say, coffee is usually involved in my personal boot-up process. Even with the glorious chemical, though, the brain sometimes skips a groove.

On Tuesday, May 8th, I woke up at my usual 5:30 to a pretty nice surprise; a Dead Space update on my PlayBook. It’s a fairy large game, so I wanted to get the download going early while I cleaned up and got breakfast. I set my tab down by the front door from which I would exit around 7:00 so, as to be sure to take it with me; and take it I did.

I snagged it from it’s perch and headed out to my car to load all my gear in for the day’s work.  Often, a full day’s worth of work gear takes two arm-loads so, I headed back to the front door to retrieve the rest of my necessities.  Typically, the PB rests comfortably in the front pouch of my PowerBag Messenger Bag. Without a thought in the world, I closed my door, fired up the Sube and headed out for the approximate 9 mile but 20 minute drive involving 11 turns, pretty much all back roads.

I arrive at my first destination, gathered my PowerBag and my coffee and headed inside. At some point during the day, I went to retrieve my PlayBook from the PowerBag to take advantage of its larger screen and killer browser. Finding only my Kindle Fire in the front pouch, I thought that maybe in the fuzz of an early morning I had somehow mistook it for my PlayBook and that I had left my precious sitting at the house updating Dead Space. I resorted to using the Fire for my needs and continued on with my day.

From job one, I left to fill up my gas tank. I have a regular place where I buy my petrol and had plenty of time to make the drive, so I headed out at 4:05 PM. From my starting point to my new destination, I traveled another 12 miles via main roads. There were only four real turns, but several stop signs and stop lights. Braking, taking off, braking, taking off, turning, braking, taking off… Rolled into the station, filled the tank, and headed out to my next stop, the bank downtown.

From the filling station to the bank it’s a full 4 miles via our by-way at 55 MPH. On ramp, off ramp, and some slow going once I arrived in the downtown area. Parked, walked down to the bank, made my transaction, headed back, and pointed my Forester in the direction of my next stop, StarBucks.

From our downtown to the StarBucks closest to my evening job it is another 3 miles, but it only requires a short trip on a major road. Still, there are quite a few “stop and go’s” on that route. Once at StarBucks, I grabbed my Kindle Fire and sauntered in. I drank my beverage, surfed some sites, killed some time. Once the extra time was gone, I slid back into my car and drove to my place of evening employment, just up the road (backing out of parking space, stopping, pulling forward, stopping to let car pass in the lot, pulling forward, stopping at the road, pulling out onto the road, stopping at the stoplight, starting onto the road, hanging a right, pulling into the parking lot, finding a spot, and parking.)

What’s been really frustrating the whole time is that I can see the Bridge logo on my 9900, so I KNOW that my dear Tabitha is around in the car. Probably in my PowerBag somewhere, I just didn’t look hard enough. (I’m a B type personality if you didn’t catch on. Not much bothers me. I lose things on a weekly basis only to have them turn up at a random point in the future. Today I reclaimed my girlfriend-purchased Kermit the Frog lunchbox that I had left the Friday previous.)

Inside to my work I went. I was there for about two hours. When I returned to my vehicle, I paid attention and sure enough, my BlackBerry handheld Bridged to my PlayBook, so for certain it’s in the car. I figured I’d grab it when I got home which was a return drive of about ten miles over the course of twenty minutes. Naturally there were once again multiple turns, stops, starts, etc. And when I finally parked my auto, I hauled in my stuff and set my sights on finding that temptress of tech that taunted me too terribly tenaciously.

I checked the back seat.. I checked the front seats. I checked under the seats. I checked between the seats. I checked the back area. I checked them all over again. I checked the glove box where I’ve never placed my PB. I checked every single inch on the interior of that blasted car and then searched it again. I had about given up when I placed my hand upon the top of the rear hatch feeling, not the metal of the roof, but rather the glass of the screen of my lost luxury.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, my poor, dear BlackBerry PlayBook had ridden the full 13.5 hours of the day, the ~40 miles of road, the full who knows how many stops and starts, on the top of my Forester. I can only assume that it was held there by the rails you see in the picture as well as the wonderfully rubberized back so lovingly placed there by the engineers at BlackBerry. I absolutely could not believe that it had survived the whole day sliding, gliding, stuck, who knows what, exposed to the elements (okay, the sun), on my car. No one saw it, or no one stole it, it didn’t rain on it, it didn’t tip off, fall off, bump off… My dear friends, I can only say that it remained affixed to my car by grace.

**Full disclosure; It’s not the first time I’ve left the PlayBook up there, but last time I remembered before I got too far.

Celebrate Mother’s Day with 2 themes from ale7714 Designs themes for just $0.99. All these themes are compatible with devices running OS 4.6 to 6.0, and devices starting at Curve 8350 to Torch 9800. Sorry no OS 7.x themes yet. Check out the whole list below!

Celebrate Mother’s Day here!

The new v1.1 has added the Fry Me To The Moon levels. 10 levels total. Not a lot, but enough to keep bird-flingers happy! Angry Birds Space retails for just $2.99. Well worth the skrilla if you ask me.

Purchase/Update Angry Birds Space here!

From the airport my auto transportation from Mear’s was there within 5 minutes. This was at 11pm of course. Impressive. I met Dave from BBThemes outside of the Marriott Hotel, walked in and had my door key in another 5 minutes.

Service from the Hotel registration, maids & room service was 5 stars. Starbucks was great. All the girls I interacted with over the 4 days were nothing but sweet. Even the woman with the scowl on her face, that worked in the little gift shop was pleasant.

Overall rating that I found online previously was 4.1 stars. They surely owned that score and then some. This included the catering service (which I can’t remember if they were an outside company or through the Marriott).

Events were the usual at first. A little slow starting off, but progressed the entire time. Alec Saunders and Thorsten Heins were by far the highlights for me. I spent a lot of time in a few groups of developer friends so I felt very welcomed into the events, lunches, breakfasts, panels.

Going to Universal Studios having full rein of food, drinks, some rides, most of the park all while hearing the Martinez Brothers perform at the peak was an adrenaline rush. Between that Spencer West and the AppCircus I couldn’t pick a favorite moment. Too many to count.

The Orlando World Marriott was a gorgeous Hotel. Scenery was warm, palm trees, humidity with a nice breeze. I couldn’t have picked a better local for the events. I did get into the BlackBerry 10 Jam towards the end of my stay thanks to some very wonderful RIM employees, spent some time sitting down and having casual conversations with them as well as meeting a ton of new friends. My overall feel was like I took a vacation to a world where RIM was king. Almost everyone had a BlackBerry in hand. Would love to go every year and couldn’t be happier with the results. Great job RIM!

BlackBerry entered the consumer market with the BlackBerry Pearl in 2006, launched on T-Mobile. The Pearl ended up on all the major carriers. Once BlackBerry had found a new market for their devices, they launched a flagship 3G device, the Bold 9000, released on AT&T in 2008 (rumor has it that T-Mobile had the option to carry their own 3G version but passed on the 9000). In 2009, in an attempt to grab some of the iPhone users from AT&T, Verizon launched the Storm. More recently, Sprint had put out information that it would be the first to carry a 4G PlayBook on WiMax, but it never happened. Why the history lesson?

At the end of the year, a whole new BlackBerry will hit the market. BB10 is set to make new BlackBerry history somewhere around October,according to leaked roadmap slides. So one of the big questions is, “Who will get the new Berry?” The phones I listed were, in their own right, flagship devices.The first Pearl, the first Bold, the first all touch, and what would have been the first carrier endorsed, cell-enabled BlackBerry tablet. The upcoming BB10 devices will need a carrier, or carriers. So who will be the first? Are they fighting over carrying it? Will BlackBerry release it on all carriers simultaneously?

I’ll admit, I’m on T-Mobile and I’d love to see the new device drop there first, but I’m afraid that if the first BB10 doesn’t hold the coveted LTE branding, then BlackBerry will get roasted for such an “inferior” product. TMO isn’t set to get LTE until 2013; that could be a full year after BB10 launch.  Meanwhile, Sprint is claiming that they will have an LTE network ineffect in 2012, but we have yet to see it and rolling out new networks is always tricky.  That limits the current LTE carriers to Verizon and AT&T.

First up, AT&T. They helped finance and launched the Torch 9800. It was the first OS6 BlackBerry, the first slider with a large touchscreen, the first touchscreen without SurePress, and the first BlackBerry utilizing the Torch Mobile Browser after RIM had acquired Torch Mobile. It really didn’t do all that well. AT&T had so much involved in the 9800 that it also launched the 9810 when OS7 arrived. Due to the small amount of changes made (all internal it seems), the 9810 was able to launch for $50 on contract. I don’t have numbers, but from what I’ve heard, it still didn’t do well. AT&T has been burned by the Torch. They also pushed back the 9900 launch and took some serious flack for altering Bridge. At this point, I’m not sure they are going to be very interested in carrying another BlackBerry as a prominent phone. The biggest positive here is that theiPhone is no longer an AT&T exclusive.  Still, RIM might have its work cutout for itself to rebuild that burnt bridge.

What about Verizon? Well, they pushed for the Storm all those years ago and what they ended up with was an unfortunately unfinished device. Even when they received the Storm2, it just wasn’t what they wanted to compete with the iPhone and VZW turned their eyes to Android.  Today, Android is a major influence at Verizon, even though they carry the iPhone.  Sure, they carry BlackBerry today, even the 9930, but they haven’t pushed a BlackBerry since the Storm. So why would they carry a new device?

With T-Mobile’s LTE being up to a year-and-a-half away and some possibly bad relations with AT&T and VZW, that leaves Sprint; not exactly the first thought you want when launching a re-birthed brand. Sprint recently agreed to buy approximately $20 Billion worth of iPhones in order to carry the super popular device. Even more recently, the CEO took a huge bonus cut of $3.25 Million in light of the subsidies to the iPhone. Amidst all the controversy, rumors say that Sprint will be the exclusive carrier of the iPhone 5 (or The New iPhone) for an undisclosed length of time. I can’t imagine why Apple would agree to that, but if true, it makes the idea of Sprint carrying and pushing a BlackBerry in their stores much less likely.

That’s four strikes, and you only get three. One of the major points of BB10 is to get BlackBerry back into the “cool” column in the U.S.A. Without a great carrier relation, I fear for a solid launch. So, who will get the BB10? What is the best move for BlackBerry? Should they go with one carrier? Should they blanket the market with all carriers, regardless of how well the carrier pushes the device? Could BB10 sell itself? Give us your view in the comments.

(On the rumor front, T-Mobile currently has dibs on BB10.  I’d like to see it hit ready for their HSPA+ and upcoming LTE.)

TwiitDeck for BlackBerry PlayBook, BB10 or the possibilities are endless. I love the UI of this client. In it’s current state it would be quite a gem for many Twitter users.

TwiitDeck @ Profile image

TwiitDeck Direct Message

Check out the entire project here: http://www.miparui.com/twiitdeck.html

Interested, Contact MiParUI Designs here: http://www.miparui.com/contact_us.html

We’ve previously posted on the BEAT series from Walker Themes. It’s an awesome theme that keeps all the icons untouched and brings a nice new UI to the top area at home.All these themes bring the sale style offering a different color depending on your tastes. With Walker’s custom Clock, Battery Meter and Date it’s sort of a no-brainer for us.

Now Walker Themes has finished the lot of ‘em and offers a total of 5 color options: Pink, Green, Blue, Red & Purple. Each one is $1.99 a piece & compatible for all OS7 and OS6 devices. I’ve picked up the Blue, Red and Green over the past month. Well worth the 2 bucks in my opinion.

BEAT (Blue)– All OS7 and OS6 Devices
http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/90506

BEAT PURPLE – All OS7 and OS6 Devices
http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/104381

BEAT GREEN – All OS7 and OS6 Devices
http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/105108

BEAT RED – All OS7 and OS6 Devices
http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/104388

BEAT PINK – All OS7 and OS6 Devices
http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103273

The Mo7.1 theme is currently compatible only with Bold 9900 & 9930 devices. No news on it coming to other devices yet. But you never know. What’s really cool is the blue tiles above have 10 color options.

One thing I can see from the screen shot but I cannot in the actual theme is the pixelated Sound Profile. My guess is this is because skinning that area is no fun with themes in their current state on OS7.

I really like that drk has chosen to put the tiles behind all icons that show on the top row much like a Windows style but most importantly keeping the flow cohesive. All your other BlackBerry icons are skinned in the white circles and include BlackBerry Bridge, Docs To Go, Compass, Smart Tags, Visual Voice Mail, BlackBerry Protect and so on.

At home it is optional to pull the main bottom dock up from 1 to approximately 3 rows. The BlackBerry Menu comes up transparent in all the situations you would use it, which I like quite a bit too. There’s just no telling what drkapprentice will come up with next.

Mo7.1 will set you back $2.99 at http://www.mybbota.com/download/12371. The color options for the top row include: orange, white, grey, purple, pink, light blue, red, green, blue and yellow. Nice work for Bold 99xx users.

Pick up Mo7.1 from MyBBOTA.com here!

After RIM blew s___ up at BlackBerry World 2012 we all started to see why we had to go through all the hard times. The awful blog posts from some of the worlds most selfish key pushers. The days of 3rd-4th place are over, and the future is brighter than the competition could have imagined. Topping it off is the Now Available Cascades beta for BlackBerry 10!

Check out the full Release Notes below

UI structure and layout

Layout in modern mobile UI frameworks is a science. In this release, you will see our take on it. While we only support the most basic layouts (Stack, Dock, Absolute) at the moment, we have an architecture that allows you to create easy to use, scalable UIs. The layouts support features like padding, margins, weights, and sizing policies to make sure your UIs are scalable.

Animations

Cascades supports implicit and explicit animations. Implicit animations make it easy for you to build a dynamic and stylish UI, without having to spend too much time fine-tuning animations. You can still fine-tune your animations using the explicit animation APIs.

Core UI

A rich set of UI controls encapsulating built-in design and the smart look of BlackBerry. A mix of simple and generic controls together with powerful, high-level controls such as the ActionBar makes it easier than ever to implement a great application structure using tabs and drill-down navigation.

WebView

You can use the WebView component to show HTML 5 content inline with Cascades UI controls. Bring the web to users of your app, while still creating a UI and user experience that’s uniquely yours.

Cascades Builder

Cascades Builder extend the QNX Momentics IDE and provides a streamlined, powerful development environment for creating and deploying Cascades applications. You can use the Cascades Builder project wizard and the built-in templates, or create a project based on any of the bundled samples. You can create the application UI declaratively in QML using the QML source editor. In addition to test driving the UI on a device, you can take advantage of the UI preview. The UI preview renders the QML file displayed in your editor.

Cascades Exporter plug-in for Adobe Photoshop

The Cascades Exporter cuts and rescales graphics automatically, which can save designers a lot of time. When exporting a UI design from Photoshop, the plug-in creates a bundle with images and the corresponding layout information. You can import this set of assets as QML and images into Cascades Builder.

**Find the many many Features (too many to list), Known limitations & issues in the release link below.

Download Cascades for BlackBerry 10 beta here!

Today, Research In Motion also hosted an “Unconference” Day for developers, providing an opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the developer community to build sessions and discussions on topics closest to their hearts including building Python apps, Cascades, and optimizing app review, support and strategies.

Other Day 3 highlights include [See Continue Reading for all the info]:

• NFC: The Bridge between Two Worlds: At BlackBerry, we see NFC acting as a link between the physical and virtual worlds; whether this is NFC-enabled mobile payments; physical access to buildings; replacing wires and cables between equipment – even using peer-to-peer capabilities to replace a physical handshake. Analysts have predicted we are on the cusp of broader market adoption, both in terms of NFC-enabled product shipments and customers’’ propensity to use the technology. Use of NFC for m-commerce has gained media traction but great examples of the broader possibilities of NFC and the experiences it can provide users  are beginning to emerge – be it for loyalty programs, to replace tickets on public transport networks, to take care of security credentials for access to buildings or for desktop PC authentication

• At BlackBerry World, we brought together a group of diverse players in the NFC ecosystem, to talk about that bridging of the physical and the virtual:

Ÿ  Turkcell, our operator partner in Turkey, has the first live deployment of NFC-enabled mobile wallet on BlackBerry

Ÿ  Inside Secure is using NFC to help luxury brands tackle anti-piracy as well as enabling home shopping applications on BlackBerry smartphones.

Ÿ  HID is a leading provider of NFC-based physical and logical access solutions

Ÿ  UK-based Proxama is doing some great work in the areas of NFC payments, ticketing and proximity marketing

• RIM’s Vision for the Future for the Enterprise – BlackBerry Mobile Fusion is the next generation mobile device management solution, which handles BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets as well as iOS and Android devices. RIM experts discussed the present and future perspective of mobile device management in market, how Mobile Fusion simplifies management of multiple smartphones and tablets, and the evolution of mobile device management, the BYOD influence, market changes with consumerization and security needs.  Learn more by watching RIM’s CIO, Robin Bienfait, talk about her thoughts on enterprise mobility needs.
• Experience BlackBerry at Home and at Work - BlackBerry World 2012 attendees experienced the Solutions Showcase, which demonstrated how BlackBerry technology can extend into your life to provide a deeply integrated experience through communication, social media, productivity and much more. Take a peek at the video for a closer look!

Source: RIM Media

Updates:
**BlackBerry Protect version 1.1.1.65 is and update for BlackBerry 7 devices only. The correct version for your specific device will automatically be selected for you from App World when you click to download

Update/Download BlackBerry Protect here

This sale will run from now until Thursday May 17th. So get ‘em while their hot!

Full Gameloft App World here: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/list/6214

Or individual titles below -

Block Breaker 3 Unlimited HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103471

Let’s Golf 2 HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/59091

N.O.V.A. 2 HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/60775

UNO HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/60867

Real Soccer 2011 HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/60773

Star Front: Collision HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/60771

Eternal Legacy HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/60858

GT Racing Motor Academy HD (FREE): http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/76016

Spider-Man Total Mayhem HD: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/59722

The biggest share of BlackBerry users in the UK are teenagers, which really isn’t that big of a surprise, knowing that BlackBerry is widely known for their brilliant QWERTY keyboards, and teenager sure love to text, write emails, and be on pace with social networks.

There is also another reason, why I think BlackBerry is so popular in the UK. UK has really affordable prices when it comes to BlackBerry. Only recent I discovered O2’s BlackBerry Bold 9900 On & On offer. For £30.00 per month, you get unlimited calls, unlimited texts, 1 GB data, and the best of all – a BlackBerry Bold 9900. Sounds to good to be true? Check out O2’s home page, and the previously mentioned BlackBerry Bold 9900 On & On offer.

Now after a nap and some time with my BlackBerry World friends, sessions and a few minutes checking out what was actually in the update. I discovered New Levels!!

Angry Birds for the PlayBook is still $4.99 for new users, however the update is free to existing users.

Update/Purchase Angry Birds for BlackBerry PlayBook here!

RIM provided an in-depth look at the company’s vision (to a crowd of hoots & whistles), the future (belts of joys), what’s on the horizon for the developer community (more money and more love to share with devs) and announcements with new partners. Following are the highlights from Day 1 at BlackBerry World:

° First Look BlackBerry 10: RIM unveiled its vision for the BlackBerry 10 platform and released the initial developer toolkit for native and HTML5 software development. The toolkit is available as a free download from http://developer.blackberry.com.  “BlackBerry 10 builds upon the core values and exceptional user experiences that have attracted more than 77 million BlackBerry customers around the world today,” said Alec Saunders, Vice President, Developer Relations and Ecosystems Development. “Developers building for BlackBerry 10 will be able to easily create the kind of cutting-edge apps that deliver truly engaging experiences and ‘wow’ customers, whether through integration with native features and other apps like BBM or by leveraging the new signature design elements of this new and powerful mobile computing platform.” Read the full press release here.

° Developer Momentum Around the BlackBerry 10 Platform: Developers and top brands are already beginning to commit to the BlackBerry 10 platform for their mobile application development. Today at BlackBerry World, RIM revealed endorsements from a number of key partners who have already confirmed their excitement for the upcoming launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform. These include Endomondo, Wikitude, Gameloft, Mippin, Occipital, PixelMags, Poynt and Truphone. Read the full release here.

° Pacemaker DJ on BlackBerry PlayBook: BlackBerry World delegates and attendees had the opportunity to see a demo of the new Pacemaker DJ app for the BlackBerry PlayBook. In collaboration with RIM, the Pacemaker DJ app offers effects like auto beatmatching, vinyl mode with scratching, digital mode, looping, loop travel, pitch control, beat skip and “pro level.”

° BlackBerry World Keynote Presentation: President and CEO Thorsten Heins unveiled details about the BlackBerry 10 mobile computing engine and provided his vision for the future of BlackBerry. If you missed it, you can catch the keynote online – and a sneak peek video on what to expect on BlackBerry 10.

BlackBerry Bridge v2.0.0.30 Features:

° Fixes predictive text issue with Tablet OS 2.0.1 update

Update/Download BlackBerry Bridge from your BlackBerry smartphone here

Predictive text that uses a swipe-up gesture so no more long bar of predictive text like you see on the current BlackBerry Tablet 2.0′s. Not that we don’t like the current way, but I think we’ll love the new way much more.

The integrated Messaging as seen in the pictures will be awesome! If you haven’t enjoyed it on the PlayBook thus far, then maybe there’s no satisfying some. For me this is pure brilliance. The flow looks and behaves quickly and efficiently.

Another bit that I missed live is the new Camera features of the upcoming BlackBerry 10 OS/devices. Luckily @AgentBlackBerry (JT from BlackBerryOS.com) was kind enough to share a video with me. Basically what it is, is a when you snap a photo, the picture will record a few seconds prior to the actual moment you see the finished preview picture. So say one of the people in the picture blink their eyes or turn their head, etc. With this new Camera users will be able to crop a certain spot (like an individuals head) and rewind time a bit to the moment when they had their best smile. Then you paste that back in. And now you have a gorgeous picture. Kind of like a “Time Machine!”

Oh I know. This is somewhat too incredible to imagine. Although we have seen all this. Many developers will walk away with a BlackBerry Development Alpha device too. It is somewhat disappointing we won’t see the finished device for sometime. I did hear a rumor though, that a few months after this all-touch BB10 device launches, RIM will follow-up with a traditional physical keyboard device as well. Don’t quote me. I may have missed the facts on that. But so far this has been a great event.

More Press releases and BlackBerry 10 news to come. Keep it tuned to Berryfication.com!

Source: BlackBerry World 2012, RIM Media

-Greg Wesson

As with any good BlackBerry blog site, we have our own representatives attending BlackBerryWorld and BlackBerryJam down in Orlando this week. Ryan (@rezn) will be covering the World shindig while our dear pal Pootemobile is at the Jam session and will be providing us info from there (Big Thanks!).

First up was a press release on a new BlackBerry Music Gateway accessory. Previously, there was a BlackBerry Remote Stereo Gateway released in 2008. It sold for around $79.99 and didn’t seem to be widely accepted. The new version is set to launch in June for only $49.99.  Check the rest of the press release for more details.

RIM is introducing a new accessory, the BlackBerry® Music Gateway, tonight at the BlackBerry Solutions Showcase from 6:00 – 8:00 pm in the Palms Ballroom. The new BlackBerry Music Gateway lets you wirelessly stream music to your home or car stereo from your BlackBerry® smartphone, BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet or any Bluetooth® enabled device*. Once connected to the BlackBerry Music Gateway, customers are able to control their music from up to 30 feet away from the stereo, without missing a single beat.

The showcase will also be open for the duration of BlackBerry World. Stop by for a demo and take a look at all it has to offer:

• Connections Made Simple – Using NFC, simply tap your NFC enabled BlackBerry to connect to the BlackBerry Music Gateway**, or connect via standard Bluetooth for universal connectivity of any Bluetooth enabled device such as smartphones, tablets and computers
• Enjoy Wireless Freedom – Stream music from your BlackBerry smartphone, BlackBerry PlayBook, or any other Bluetooth enabled device. BlackBerry Music Gateway connects to any existing home stereo equipment or car stereo using the RCA or 3.5mm cables included in the box
• Wireless Remote Control – Use your device as the remote for complete control of playback, track changes, and volume.
• Multitasking – Access other applications or surf the web while playing music. Music automatically pauses when an incoming phone call is received and continues when the call is ended without skipping a beat.

Getting music on your BlackBerry has never been easier. Customers can sync their personal music library, purchase albums and songs from the BlackBerry Music Store or stream music from the numerous BlackBerry App World™ music apps such as BBM™ Music, Pandora or Slacker, for a rich multimedia experience.

Availability and Pricing:

The BlackBerry Music Gateway will begin shipping in June 2012 and will be available on www.shopblackberry.com for US$49.99.

BlackBerry Music Gateway images are available for download in the BlackBerry World Press Room at http://www.blackberryworld.com/press

*Bluetooth enabled devices must feature the A2DP and AVRCP profiles.

** For tap to pair and connect feature, device must feature Near Field Communication (NFC).

Source: RIM Media

New Features in 2.0.4:

— We’ve listened to the emails, and are bringing you your most requested features in a whopping 2.0 update! They include:

° Portrait Mode Support
° Zoom while editing
° Add images as new Layers
° More Professional Boarders
° Fish Eye Effect, and a bunch more!

This FREE update is a giant thank-you to everyone who helped make this app a success. Please enjoy, and don’t forget to tell your friends about PicShop!

I’m a huge fan of picture enhancing products, but all the more a fan of the high quality products like PicShop. They’ve gone and added more features to an already finished product in my opinion.

If your not sold on the features of PicShop and would like to try it out first, then your in luck! They offer a ‘Lite’ version as well. Check out all the features and both below!

Update/Purchase PicShop for BlackBerry PlayBook here

Update/Dowload PicShop Lite for BlackBerry PlayBook here

Super Stickman Golf has previously been available for Android, iOS, Roku and now BlackBerry PlayBook! The only requirement is running Tablet 2.0. Check out the features below.

FEATURES:

° 6 unlockable super clubs! Each super club has a unique ability to make your round a little easier.

° 250+ unique holes, including all the classic courses from Stick Golf 1 plus new ‘super’ courses.

° Scoreloop Leaderboards. Join the Super Stickman Golf world tour and see where you stack up.

° Scoreloop Achievements. Tune up you game with our crazy achievements.

° Scoreloop Challenges. Bet your golf bux against your friends!

Now I’ve only played a few rounds, noticed my Scoreloop was automatically connected (liked that). Ran 5 trials and love it. Of course we’ll throw a full review up within the next week or so.

Who knew stick-men could rock so hard at golfing. I love unlockable power ups, super clubs, mulligans, etc. Decide for yourself now and like I said we’ll dig in more later. Super Stickman Golf is $2.99 and is of course available now. Also check out the other versions and other apps from Noodlecake Studios here.

Purchase Super Stickman Golf for BlackBerry PlayBook here!

NodeBeat boasts compatibility with people of all ages! “The intuitive and fun visual music app for all ages. Whether your 2 or 92, NodeBeat will make you sound like a pro.” - nodebeat.com

Features:

General

° Friendly, Intuitive and Easy to Use
° Record and Save Creations
° Drum and Octave Generators
° Preset Layouts to Help Get You Started
° Sleep Timer for Falling Asleep to NodeBeat

Audio and Rhythm

° 20 Musical Scales
° All 12 Musical Keys Signatures
° 7 Octave Range
° Multitouch Background Keyboard/Piano
° Audio WaveformAdjustment (Sine, Triangle, Sawtooth, Square)
° Creative Sound Sculpting (Echo, Attack, Decay, Release)
° Adjustable Tempo (BPM) and Note Beat

I remember seeing some tweets retweeted by friends over Twitter the last couple weeks, mentioning NodeBeat. So I quickly found their Twitter account (here) and made sure to follow.

NodeBeat is created by Seth Sandler, Justin Windle & Laurence Muller. It’s a visual music creation application for everyone who picks it up. Generators pulse and play Notes within proximity. A Note is played in sequence based on the distance it is from it’s connected Generator.

You have an Octave Generator, a Beat Generator and a Note all within the Node Panel. These can be drug from the Node Panel at the top of the screen. Double tap nodes to start & stop them. Drag them off the screen to get rid of them.

From jump street you choose whether you are going to ‘Create’ your own music parade, or ‘Listen’ to a pre-generated music-fest. Either way you can always play and add to the ‘Listen’ mode just as if it were your own creation. Once everything is laid out I’ve noticed the app has no boundaries. You can literally tweak everything on the screen at the same time with the PlayBook. I put 10 fingers down and 10 fingers were making something happen. It’s like feeling the music with your fingertips. Very cool.

Basically if you can think of something to tweak, NodeBeat lets you do just that. Music Appreciation wasn’t my best class in college, but I did love and enjoy every minute of it. If students and teachers were engaging with NodeBeat I bet I’d have walked out of there grinning everyday.

Now that I’ve been tripping out on NodeBeat for a couple hours I’ve begun to leave it jamming in the background while I play games, tweet or blog. It’s soothing and full of warm energy. Currently they’re asking just $0.99 for the app. Not too bad in my opinion. I did notice a couple little bugs. Which I’m sure they’ll fix if they haven’t already. One being the keyboard pops up if you swipe from to bottom left corner. Like I said no big deal, this is still an incredible experience unlike anything I’ve seen on the PlayBook before. Go check it out for yourself. Also check out nodebeat.com/ for all the ins & outs as well as versions for other platforms.

Pick up NodeBeat for your PlayBook here!

B77 may come for other device and OS’s later but HedoneDesign/i-Mentalist is pretty busy nowadays so I wouldn’t get my hopes up. It’s not the first Windows style theme they’ve made but surely a nice surprise.

Remember theme developers are going through quite a bit just to get these on BlackBerry 7 devices. There’s more new guys and plenty of casual builders popping themes in App World everyday. But very few look this good. In my opinion.

Hedone glazes the whole theme to give you the shiny new feeling you deserve with your BlackBerry. Skinned most all of the icons, including the extras OS 7.x allows. I only see a couple left out that could have taken a new coat. Small complaint. Everything else looks great! I love this custom wallpaper from Pootermobile more with mine. BlackBerry World 2012 needs all the love it can get.

B77 isn’t a theme that most everyday users will buy though. It is priced very high at $6.99. So it’s up to the consumer to decide if this is worth the value of the dollars it costs. I’ve been rocking it for a couple days and love the icons, focus, greens & blues. All around a nice improvement from starting at the stock theme. Hit the link below for more info!

Head over to HedoneDesign.com to pick up B77 here

The latest update, originally v3.9 now v3.9.1 adds quite a bit. 3.9.1 fixes an issue with OS 5.0. See the full scope below.

Foursquare 3.91 includes:

° Integrated message support:
— Updated message notification support, now see your notification within your BlackBerry message list. Alongside your email and other app notifications!

° Improved location/GPS Logic

° NFC Support for OS 7.0/7.1 devices. Now share venue/tip info via NFC or checkin.

° 3.9.1 fixes issues with OS 5.0

Update/Download Foursquare for BlackBerry Free here

CrackBerry wasted no time in getting these all in full view for the world to weigh out their opinion and pop some comments on what they think about the design. Personally I like it.

Though I’d love to see something like a Victory TK come out when the actual BB10 devices launch as an alternative. There’s no denying the HOTNESS here! It is going to be just like RIM said (built to run BlackBerry 10 on both tablet and smartphone).

Just looking at the BlackBerry icon all robust and proud makes us all the more eager to see this or something very similar reach consumers hands.

BlackBerry World kicks off in just a few days. We should be showing off a lot more images like these and maybe even get to hold some. RIM isn’t releasing a new BlackBerry 10 device at the conference but they are setting developers up with the BlackBerry 10 Development Alpha smartphones. And that has been confirmed many times over.

Source: CrackBerry

Check out the full post from CrackBerry here: http://crackberry.com/here-we-go-again-blackberry-10-alpha-dev-device

We’re not sure exactly what this update entails. But it appears to have new levels. The kiddos whipped through what seemed to be most of the levels on the first 3 games again the other day. Let us know what you find or what we may have missed!

What are you waiting for? Go grab your update or pick up Angry Birds Rio for $4.99 below now!

Source: N4BB

Update/Purchase Angry Birds Rio for BlackBerry PlayBook here

gameplay is a project contributed & hosted on GitHub. Co-founded by Sean Paul Taylor and Steve Grenier. Their bringing quite a bit of knowledge contributing this project to directly target the indie game dev community. And in my opinion they’re going pedal to the metal!

Current features in gameplay

• Written completely in C++ and well documented using doxygen.
• Solution and workspaces for Visual Studio 2010, XCode 3.2.1 and Momentics IDE’s.
• Platform-Game abstraction layer separating all operating system code from game engine code.
• Input system support for Mouse, Keyboard and Touch.
• Full vector math library with classes for Vector2/3/4, Matrix, Quaternion, Ray, Plane. Also Frustum and BoundingBox/BoundingSphere classes for object culling.
• Solid OpenGL 3.2+ (for Desktop) and OpenGL ES 2.0 (for Mobile) based rendering system with classes for RenderState, FrameBuffer, Mesh, Material, Effect, Pass and Techniques.
• Easy-to-use and efficient Font and Sprite classes.
• Scene-graph components such as Scene, Node, Light, Camera and Model.
• Binary encoding tool for creating optimized bundles for loading TTF fonts and 3D game assets supporting both COLLADA and FBX formats.
• Extensible animation system with classes for Animation, AnimationClip and Curve with built-in AnimationTarget’s on Transform and MaterialParameter’s classes.
• Complete 3D audio system with additional support for compressed audio using OGG and supporting HDMI gaming.

New features in gameplay v1.2

• Newplatforms now supporting:
  • BlackBerry Tablet OS 2.0 and BlackBerry 10 ready!
  • Apple iOS 5.1 for iPhone and iPad
  • Google Android 2.3+
  • Microsoft Windows 7
  • Apple MacOSX
• New shader-based material system with built-in common shader library.
• New declarative scene binding.
• New declarative particle system.
• Improved physics system with rigid body dynamics and constraints.
• New character physics and ghost objects.
• Improved animation system supporting animated skeletal character animation.
• New declarative user interface system with support for declartive theming and ortho, and 3D form definition with built-in core control classes such as Button, Label, TextBox, Slider, CheckBox, RadioButton. Also includes Layout classes such as Absolute/Vertical and FlowLayout.
• New cross-platform new game project wizard scripts.
• New game developer guide.
• New game samples and tutorials.

By far this is the type of stuff I want to be playing come BlackBerry 10. While the PlayBook is finally starting to shake some earth, in my opinion open-source projects like gameplay are exactly what RIM needs to boost morale all-the-while giving indie developers kindling to fuel their deeper desires to impress the crowd.

Source: DevBlog

Check out the Full Post in the DevBlog here: http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/introducing-gameplay-v1-2-for-3d-indie-game-developers/

Head over to Pootermobile’s site here to claim your new FREE wallpaper(s). Get as many as you like. There’s 2 versions of the BlackBerry Conference and 2 versions of the BlackBerry 10 Jam walls for just about everyone.

Be sure to thank Pooter for taking the time to make these.

Link: http://theworldofpootermobile.com/2012/04/25/2012-blackberry-conferences-wallpapers/

In 2007, we all had a good laugh. A computer company was going to make a phone; with a touchscreen. The company that was previously on the brink of death, until Microsoft jumped to the rescue with some money, was entering the BlackBerry and Palm owned SmartPhone market. It’s 2012 now, and the only people laughing are working for the richest company in the world.

We all know the in between bits. Apple’s iOS, with it’s iTunes ecosystem, has created a whole new mobile world where phones are no longer phones, but rather portable media consuming, data using, hardware competing beasts. Everyone is playing catch-up, but no one is all that close. Even Google is having a rough go at it shooting from the hip. They have a widespread OS, but which hardware? And how many tablets? And which OS on which tablet? And how much of Android is really being used on that device? Apple used a bullet, and tagged their target. Google used a shotgun and made some holes, but it’s not quite the same.

So where is BlackBerry in all of this? Again, we know the answer. They were laughing and now they are crying and trying to catch-up. From first attempts at touchscreen with the Storm series to the most recent BB7 OS, they have made some great strides, but catching up won’t cut it. Former Co-CEO and board member Jim Balsillie was right when he said the words “Leap frog”. That’s what they need to do.

Can BlackBerry revolutionize the mobile OS in the iOS dominated market? Well, let’s face it, their broswer is headed in the right direction. With it now being the second best HTML5 browser on the market, only behind the PC version of Chrome, I’d say that’s a solid step. With the ever enjoyful PlayBook OS2.0 and it’s guesture based goodness, that’s another solid step. What’s missing is eco-system, but that’s just catch-up.

Eco-system made iOS popular. Apps became a Jones effect phenomenon. What BlackBerry needs is beyond eco-system. They need the Leap frog idea. They need the next step in mobile tech and, as I’ve said before, I think some of the answer is right in front of them.

Bridge is brilliant. There’s no better description. I’d be frustrated having to pay 2 data plans when it turns out I didn’t need to do so. And to have my phone talk with my tablet?! How fantastic! I can be emailed a link, and then just “Open On” my PlayBook for a larger view? Killer! I can use my phone as a remote control for my tablet when it’s hooked up natively via HDMI to a TV? Speechless! What I don’t get is why BlackBerry hasn’t been selling handheld/tablet bundles for the past year. I mean, you’ve got this incredible feature, especially with Bridge Remote on 2.0, and you don’t hand it to people in a bundle? Really? Oh right, no CMO. When BlackBerry 10 drops and ends up being on both the handheld and the tablet, there will be better integration and they had better be bundles.

What else could help BB10 Leap frog the OS competition? An improved virtual keyboard, of course! Rumor has it that BlackBerry or QNX or someone at RIM has some kind of haptic or other tactile feedback to the new software/hardware. I won’t lie, I liked SurePress. I didn’t use it much as I didn’t own a Storm, but from what I did experience, I enjoyed the “click” of the key. Now, that was a hardware act. This new software or, as I said is rumored  to be “haptic style” but more clicky, less buzzy. They’re rumors, but it would make sense and if someone within RIM’s multiple subsidiaries has been able to improve the virtual keyboard by giving it a real keyboard feel, they may just pull off an OS Leap frog move.

Would Bridge and a keyboard be enough though? I doubt it. People want media. While I feel that the tablet arena is much better suited for books and movies, things such as light games, music, and social media will continue to boom and those “must have” and “brand name” apps are beyond necessary. In order to obtain them, getting them on BlackBerry 10 must be as easy as possible. Literally, if a BB10 could run native iOS apps, people might consider it. What really needs to happen though, is BlackBerry needs to be the “go to” place for developers. How does BlackBerry get there?

Jam sessions are helping. All the different ways to code are kind of helping. Gameplay looks like it could really help. Here’s the deal with gameplay: Why code for just iOS and then Android separately when you can code for both, plus BB10 in one punch? Enter gameplay. Code for all three platforms at once. Now, I’m no developer, but my first question is, How well does the code work on all three devices? Is it really that easy? I don’t know. We’ll find out in the near future, but in the end, the day that BlackBerry gets the app that the other OS’s end up vying for, we’ll know that we have arrived not just back into the fold, but at the top.

All said and done, there are a lot of obstacles ahead for BlackBerry 10. It has to give the consumer more than they expect. It has a lot to prove. Then again, so did the 1980 USA Olympic Men’s Hockey team.

Sources; home image: Pootermobile; TK Victory image: CrackBerry & DigitalHomeBoy; BlackBerry Blade image: CrackBerry & Pixelcarve; gameplay image: BlackBerry DevBlog

Seidio’s Desktop Charging Cradle & Desktop Charging Cradle Kit is currently only compatible for BlackBerry Bold 9900-9930 series smartphones on BlackBerry 7. They do have some for older devices however.

FEATURES:

°° Removable plates enable compatibility with a bare device, SURFACE™ and ACTIVE™ cases.

° Convenient desktop charging cradle is perfectly molded to your phone and select Seidio accessories

° Charge your BlackBerry 9900/9930 without the hassle of removing your Seidio case

° Features a sleek, glossy finish and discreet LED light

° Charge using the included Micro-USB cable or travel charger

One of the first things that I thought about when Seidio was sending this item over was how does it compare to RIM’s own BlackBerry Charging Pod? So I ordered one and began using RIM’s first party product first. I loved RIM’s tiny sleek “desktop solution”. But the addition of the Desktop Charging Cradle by Seidio gives their product a bit of an advantage. RIM keeps it simple. 1) you can not charge with a case on or any protective covering using RIM’s solution. 2) The Bold is not very secure on this tiny Charging Pod from RIM. A slight rumble, tap or miss grab and your unprotected BlackBerry Bold slips out of the pod. I found I have to keep the Charging Pod right in the center of either my nightstand. I cannot open any drawers or forget that my device is there or it may be drastic. On the flipside; I did love to look and feel of RIM’s Charging Pod more. It’s lightweight, has a soft felt-like bottom to keep it from sliding around, as well it does have a nice green LED to let you know your ready to charge. So it really comes down to consumer needs.

My needs fall right into Seidio’s hands. Now I’m using the Desktop Charging Cradle Kit from Seidio. I now have multiple options and never worry about my brand new 9930 taking a spill. Which is what I need to maintain my anxiety.

Unboxing — The Desktop Charging Cradle Kit comes with: 1 Charging Cradle, 1 Removable Plate (compatible with both SURFACE & ACTIVE cases), 1 Micro-USB cable and 1 Travel charger.

This is all you need to get your Charging Cradle set up. The Desktop Charging Cradle Kit comes with all this and runs for $39.95. If you don’t need or want the Travel charger then I’d suggest grabbing the regular Desktop Charging Cradle for $29.95.

Days of use — I must admit I’ve been quite greedy with the Charging Cradle. I use it just as often as I can. Some days I am using a case that’s not one of the listed compatible cases above, and on those days I just do battery swaps when the Bold has reached it’s limit. Although the days I’m wearing a simple to remove case I do use the Charging Cradle. With the micro-USB cable I can plug right into the laptop. Now I have my BlackBerry posted in a position where I can see the screen and rock a fair charge at the same moment. Carrying the Cradle up to my room at night isn’t a hassle either as I can just unplug from the back micro then plug right into my bedroom travel charger.

This is the first Seidio Cradle I’ve ever used so I don’t have a previous to compare it to. Though I have found it to be much sturdier and user friendly when compared to alternatives.

Quality — Seidio has never disappointed with their products in the past. Everything packed inside with the Desktop Charging Cradle is a good quality as well. I’ve dropped the cradle from about 3 feet a couple times. No damage whatsoever. It takes no time to figure out how to use the Cradle. You have one insert for using with your Bold without a case. Remove the insert to use with your ACTIVE and/or SURFACE Cases. The Cradle also features a nice Power LED so you can see when your powered up. I’d highly recommend the Cradle for any user who prefers a little more organization in their life.

PROS
— The price is $29.95 – 39.95. Not bad for all you get with either package.
— Works with 2 of Seidio’s popular BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 series cases.

CONS
— Isn’t compatible with other 3rd party cases.
— Won’t butter your toast unfortunately.

Pick up the Desktop Charging Cradle for Bold 9900/9930 here

Pick up the Desktop Charging Cradle Kit for Bold 9900/9930 here

Check out the Full Description here:

The most ninja action possible……..without having to go to the trouble of actually being a ninja.

Swipe your finger across the screen to hack and slash your enemies while dodging shurikens, ditching Geisha, and ducking bad Sushi!

You can climb to the top of the leader board by slicing and dicing through waves and waves of intruders and collecting points with the tip of your sword!

Customize your Pocket Ninja with new looks, weapons, and abilities!

iOS users can grab the game Free here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-ninjas/id494871208

Compose Mail is absolutely FREE with nothing else to buy or upgrade. The idea is similar to the native Compose app in BlackBerry smartphones.

Features:

° Compose email in Portrait or Landscape

° Integration with the native Messages App

° Automatic copy-to-clipboard

° Copy & Paste

° Launches faster than Messages

° Matches style of the 2.0 Messages, Contacts, and Calendar apps

Features like portrait, integration into the native Messages, automatic copy-to-clipboard and the quick launch make this a must-have for anyone using Tablet 2.0. Compose Email is compatible with Tablet 1.0.7 PlayBooks. Though we’d recommend updating to 2.0 to actually make us of this app.

Can’t wait to see what Will comes up with on his hat trick. Grab Compose Mail FREE below.

Download Compost Mail FREE to your PlayBook here!

Angry Birds Space is an awesome multiplatform game that needs no introduction. Rovio Entertainment has proven once again that they’re clearly having a blast making these games. If you don’t mind spending a few bucks on a game that will challenge you, make you laugh and make you think, then hit the link below and blast to space!

Pick up Angry Birds Space from your PlayBook here

There’s a special BlackBerry out there. At over $2000, it’s the most expensive stock BlackBerry 9900 you can buy; the BlackBerry Porsche Design P’9981. The reviews have been mixed at best. The basic consensus is that, outside of status, it’s pretty much silly to pay so much more for basically the same phone just because it looks different. Perhaps, though, BlackBerry has made the first step into a whole new market.

Let’s take walk down memory lane outside of the smartphone market. In 1986, Honda created a new car company called Acura. The cars they produced looked a lot like a regular Honda, but they cost more because they were a “Luxury” car. Today, Acura is vibrant self-driven separate company making the parent company, Honda, more money. That doesn’t sound like a stupid idea to me.

So what about the P’9981? Could BlackBerry have stumbled onto something here? Is it possible that BlackBerry could create an entire spin-off line of luxury devices? I’m thinking they could. Think about it. It’s really an untapped market. No company has a line of luxury devices. You just have to give the consumer a reason to pay for it. In the case of the P’9981, exclusivity is the key. In the future, that’s not going to hold up, but topped specs and a special design could.

What makes a luxury car is design and features. What is an option on a Honda is often a standard feature on an Acura. They share a lot of underpinning parts making the cost to manufacture reasonable, but the extra features and the namesake create the ability to charge a premium price. Take a GMC Yukon. Remove the logo, add features, redesign the body a bit, slap on Cadillac Escalade decals and you can make more money. It’s simple and effective. What it requires, however, is marketing. There is where BlackBerry could drop the ball.

We know marketing isn’t BlackBerry’s strong point. I don’t have research numbers on the sales of the P’9981, so I’m not sure how well BlackBerry is doing with their exclusive 2AA pinned luxury phone. Truly, though, it doesn’t really have to do well. What it has to do is set the idea in motion. Once people grasp onto the concept of the Luxury smartphone, then the devices will sell themselves.

To be honest, I don’t understand how the luxury car market survives, but I’m not their demographic. I wouldn’t be purchasing a luxury smartphone either, but there are plenty of people who would just like to say they own a luxury device. People will pay extra money for premium coffee, extra features on a television, and top quality on watches or cars. There is no reason that demographic won’t pay more for similar extras on a smartphone.

BlackBerry has a chance not only to reinvent itself with BB10, but also to create its own new market with a luxury line of devices. Could it flop? Sure. Could it make BlackBerry the hottest thing on the market? Absolutely. It’s a risk, but there’s a potential major payoff; not only fiscally, but as a brand as well. What do you think? Could a luxury line work? Would it help BlackBerry return to its former glory? Or would it just be a distraction for their current focus of getting back in the game? I’d like to see them try.

New Features in BlackBerry App World 3.1.2.32:

° Find an app in “My World” by typing a keyword term

°“Other Devices” filter view in “My World” allows you to filter out apps not available for your device e.g. PlayBook Apps

°Announce downloads to BBM Status

°NFC is now an additional method to share a single app (for 7.1 users)

°A new “Share” channel in the App World Home page allows you to share your app list via NFC (for 7.1 users)

°Various Bug Fixes

Source: BlackBerry Beta Zone, BlackBerry Empire

Download the latest BlackBerry App World here

Theme Developers have struggled with RIM over the last year. Once upon a time the BlackBerry theme was an entire culture of living breathing developers, testers and users. And we’d love to see that again some day. Support for BlackBerry 10 would be crucial to keep the theme alive though.

BlackBerry Cool reported a tip that a member of the BlackBerry theme building community said “RIM will be releasing a new version of Theme Studio sometime this early summer giving theme developers lots more options when creating BlackBerry 7 themes.”

Source: BlackBerry Cool

There’s not just one or two versions of Screen Muncher in App World and sure there’s plenty of different applications that will get the job done. But there’s something about Muncher that attracts me..

If your not sure why anyone would want to take a screenshot, apparently your not following me on Twitter. There’s plenty of reasons why we take them. But a few reasons are: *Taking screenshots and sharing them to social networks like Twitter allows us to show other users our favorite themes, wallpapers or apps. *We can even screen munch issues we’re having with a specific app or function.*Take screenshots for developers you may or may not be testing for. The possibilities are endless.

Screen Muncher does make choosing the right version a tad tricky though. So I thought we’d offer some insight for users who find all the various versions a little confusing.

Now Screen Muncher has always been FREE but Motek Americas does offer a paid version which will remove the “Screen Muncher watermark” if you don’t like it. On the flipside, if your running an OS 7.0 – 7.1 device you can grab the Premium version FREE for a limited time compliments of BlackBerry. Still following?

Besides these versions, there’s also some holiday editions of Screen Muncher and I’m sure more will follow. I recommend either searching for “Screen Muncher” inside BlackBerry App World [on device] or choosing one of the links from below while this post is open on your BlackBerry device. If you want an easier way to view our site from a BlackBerry download our FREE app from your BlackBerry here.

Okay so how do you use Screen Muncher? It’s quite simple. After you download the app you will find “Munch Screen” as an option inside your BB Menu key. Press the BB Menu button> Munch> then you can find the image in your Pictures application> Scroll down a bit and there’s a folder called Screen Munches. Open and send the image wherever you want. Motek Americas also offers an option to log into your Twitter, Facebook or BBM. After you take a Screen Munch you will see the option to “Share” click Share> type your message> Log in to Facebook, Twitter or BBM> Choose Share> All done! Email is also it’s own option for sharing directly.

There you have it. You can find more specific options like changing the look of your Munch mouth, sounds it makes and more right from the options screen after a munch. And remember Screen Muncher is FREE! There’s an optional Premium version for $2.99, a FREE Premium version for BlackBerry 7 users, and some different Holiday Editions.

Some fun facts about Screen Muncher here: http://www.motekmobile.com/?page_id=1244

See all versions of Screen Muncher apps & themes here: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/search/ScreenMuncher/

Grab Screen Muncher Premium Edition $2.99 for All users here

Grab Screen Muncher FREE Edition for All users here

Grab Screen Muncher Premium Ed. OS 7 users ONLY FREE Comp.. of BB here

BeWeather HD v1.2.17 updates:

***Please make sure you have upgraded to Tablet OS 2.0.1***

° Added support for portrait orientation

° Added hourly forecast graph

° Reorganized map viewer/selection

° Improvved weather animation quality

° Stability and performance enhancements

°°Choose ‘Continue Reading’ for full list of features

BeWeather HD FEATURES:

° 100% Ad-Free

° Weather data provided by Weather Underground, includes 7 day and hourly forecasts

° Visually stunning display of weather information using high definition animations (experimental)

° More accurate conditions by switching to a nearby weather stations for any location

° Weather advisory notifications (US only)

° Built-in animated radar (US only) and IR/Vis satellite maps

° Replace/extend the default radar/satellite maps with your preferred weather service’s radar maps!

° Add custom web cams and other media links (weather radio, video, HTML etc)

° Sunrise/Sunset times and moon phase

° Completely customize BeWeather using fonts and colors

I remember when the PlayBook came out last year, one of the first developers I went to was Bellshare. In hopes of a BeWeather app for PlayBook of course. Shortly down the road they had ported their Android app over but it was a very early build. What we have now with v1.2 is vastly improved from a year ago. And just because it’s running on the Android Player, this doesn’t mean Bellshare cut a bunch of corners. They’ve been optimizing this Android version to run well on both Android devices and through the PlayBook.

Much like the BlackBerry smartphone version this app is fully customizable. BeWeather icons, fonts, colors. Choose from various views whenever you launch the application. Weather Underground 7 day forecasts, right down to the hour. The animations really show what the Tablet OS 2.0.1 is capable of. Check out BeWeather HD for yourself below.

Update/Purchase BeWeather HD from your PlayBook here!