Submit your app for Blackberry Playbook

RIM just opened the door to anyone willing to submit apps for Blackberry Playbook.

Just head to the Blackberry Vendor Portal and submit yours!

Developers who submit accepted applications into App World prior to the initial launch will receive a PlayBook subject to conditions, such as abiding by the SDK License Agreement, RIM said. A limit of one PlayBook per developer is in place. Applications must provide functionality considered beneficial to an end-user, with the following categories excluded from eligibility: Web launchers or shortcuts, Web browsers, and applications that provide a simple, single function such as playing noise or displaying a graphic.

The company recently released an update to the beta version of the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for AIR, which adds support for the Flash Builder 4.5 software development platform with plug-ins that work either Flash Builder 4.0 or the the release of Flash Builder "Burrito." The beta also supports Windows in 64-bit mode and includes a simulator for Linux.

TAT acquired by RIM

Research In Motion has just confirmed the acquisition of Swedish UI design company TAT, which will soon be "bringing their talent to the BlackBerry PlayBook and smartphone platforms.

Blackberry Playbook will have Kindle App

Since Amazon already has a Kindle app for BlackBerry, it's not surprising that it announced that it will release an app for BlackBerry's upcoming PlayBook tablet.

"When you buy a Kindle book, you can already read it on iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, and, of course, on your Kindle, Kindle 3G, and Kindle DX," said Dorothy Nicholls, director for Amazon Kindle. "We're very excited to add the new BlackBerry PlayBook to that list. As with our other Kindle apps, the BlackBerry PlayBook app will be free and will incorporate our WhisperSync technology so you can seamlessly switch between devices."

Kobo App (ebooks) will be available on Blackberry Playbook

Kobo is a global eBook retailer known for offering a rich eReading experience. Today RIM and Kobo announced plans to preload the Kobo eBooks app on the BlackBerry® PlayBook™.

"We are really excited that Kobo’s service and regionalized content will be available to BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users."

The Kobo service provides access to more than 2.2 million books, newspapers and magazines (now that’s a lot of reading!). The app will allow the user to personalize text size, font and style, access recommended reading lists, plus lots more. For more details, check out the press release.

Dan Leibu, chief technology officer for Kobo, also joined us this week at BlackBerry DEVCON to debut an upcoming social eReading app for BlackBerry® smartphones that will leverage our recently announced BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) Social Platform. Kobo plans to integrate information from various functions of BBM into the eBook shopping and reading experience on its app. Shop with a friend, read with a group, exchange passages, and discuss the book in real-time! You can check out a video of this new Kobo app for BlackBerry smartphones (expected to be available early next year) here: http://blog.kobobooks.com/BBM

Kobo with BBM from Kobo on Vimeo.

Kobo with BBM from Kobo on Vimeo.

Blackberry Playbook announced

Today, at the BlackBerry Developer Conference (DevCon), RIM CEO Mike Laziridis announced the BlackBerry Playbook. The PlayBook has a 7-inch hi-res widescreen display, is 9.7 mm thick, supports Flash 10.1 with hardware accelerated video, HTML 5, 1080p video, has non-proprietary HDMI and USB connections, full-HD front and rear-facing camera, support for dual-displays (with use of HDMI cable), will be able to connect with BlackBerry Enterprise Servers out of the box via Bluetooth secure pairing to BlackBerry. The device will have a 1 GHz dual-core processor (with symmetrical multiprocessing capabilities) and 1 GB RAM. The device OS, which is developed by QNX, is POSIX based and will get a native SDK which supports Adobe Air, Flash, and OpenGL 2.0.

The PlayBook will be able to act as a second, larger screen for a BlackBerry phone, through a secure short-range wireless link. When the connection is severed - perhaps because the user walks away with the phone - no sensitive data like company e-mails are left on the tablet. Outside of Wi-Fi range, it will be able to pick up cellular service to access the Web by linking to a BlackBerry.
But the tablet will also work as a standalone device. RIM co-Chief Executive Jim Balsillie said its goal is to present the full Web experience of a computer, including the ability to display Flash, Adobe Systems Inc.'s format for video and interactive material on the Web. That means the tablet will be less dependent on third-party applications or "apps," Balsillie said.
"I don't need to download a YouTube app if I've got YouTube on the Web," said Balsillie, who leads the company along with co-CEO Mike Lazaridis.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs has resisted allowing Flash on any of the company's mobile gadgets, arguing the software has too many bugs and sucks too much battery life.

Blackberry Playbook preview: