Thursday, December 15, 2011

Shopper's Paradise HD



As this month unfolds, it gets crazier and crazier at the shopping malls. Pretty soon, it’ll end up being a suicide run. Have you ever wondered what your mall’s management team thinks of while they observe people spewing through the mall entrances? If it were me, I would only have one thing on my mind: “Dance, puppets, dance!” I would probably follow that up with some maniacal laughter. To be honest though, the pressure must be on to make sure that their customers are happy customers, because happy customers may potentially spend more money. Some of you may think you could do a much better job, but don’t have the guts, or energy to follow through. If you want to see if you have what it takes, but on a much smaller (and virtual) scale, here’s a game for you: Shopper's Paradise HD for the BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry Smartphones.
It’s been called a cross between Tower Defence and Tycoon as, instead of defending a tower, you’re defending your business. You do so by constructing various types of businesses such as stores, hotels, cinemas and so on. The customers stroll through the paths, like enemies in a defence type gain. In this case, you aren’t trying to take their lives, just their money. Keep your businesses successful by hiring police, employees and maintaining your sites. You can choose from a wide selection of maps to build upon. Yes, the video above says it's coming soon, but it still gives you a look at the game play you're about to partake in. It’s amazingly quick to pick up the fundamentals and addictively fun to master them. Shoppers Paradise HD for the BlackBerry PlayBook, and BlackBerry Smartphones is available from BlackBerry App World for $2.99; but only for tablets running OS 2.0 developer beta. There is a free version available, but it’s only for BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5.0 or higher.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

9 Blackberry Playbook Apps for Business


9. RDM+ Remote Desktop

No matter how capable the tablet, there will always be at least one computer-bound application that you can’t live without. Fortunately, thanks to RDM Remote Desktop, you won’t have to. When paired with RDM’s PC-side client, connecting with your computer to and leverage its software couldn’t be easier.
$9.99 - SHAPE Services

8. SharePlus Office Mobile Client

If your company uses Microsoft SharePoint Server 2007 or 2010, you’ll want to invest in SharePlus Office Mobile Client. Using your SharePoint login credentials, SharePlus Office provides users with access to their SharePoint libraries, wiki pages, calendars, images and documents online. Once logged in, authenticated users can even download content for offline viewing and editing.
$29.99 - SouthLabs

7. BlueBox

Dropbox has become about as ubiquitous as a file synchronization service can be. Users can edit, download, and synchronize their files across multiple ecosystems including Android, iOS, Windows, OS X -- and now QNX. While not an official Dropbox application, BlueBox is nonetheless a great way to work with your Dropbox-bound files on your PlayBook.

6. Box

While Dropbox is the best known file synchronization game in town, it’s not the most spacious, offering a mere 2 GB of free space. Box, on the other hand, offers a whopping 5 GB for free to new users of their services as well as rock solid stability and security to boot.
Free - Box.net

5. My File Manager

For those that prefer a hands-on approach to their file management, My File Manager is a great way to go. Offering PlayBook users the ability to manhandle their tablet’s files with a robust features like bridged SD card support, zip/unzip capabilities, this one’s so good, we’re surprised that RIM didn’t cook up something similar themselves.

4. Punch In Punch Out

As its name suggests, Punch In Punch Out is a time tracking application designed to allow contractors, road warriors, or anyone else who counts watching the clock as part of their daily grind to do so in style. Creating new projects, adding clients and of course, time tracking are all a pleasure to work with, thanks to the app’s pleasant user interface.
$1.99 - MELLISdesigns

3. Conqu

There are numerous ways to tackle task management these days. For PlayBook owners who prefer their to-do list to provide zen-like simplicity, Conqu is an excellent choice. With its elegant interface, Conqu will make creating custom categories,project planning and managing tasks the one of the easiest parts of your daily mobile workflow.
Free - AsFusion

2. Personal Assistant

If you’re using your PlayBook without the benefits provided by, ahem, BlackBerry Bridge, Personal Assistant may be the application you’ve been waiting for. A PIM program that boasts a massive amount of customization options, the ability to recover deleted contact data up to 30 days old, and a promise from the app’s developer for future calendar event support, Personal Assistant is a piece of software definitely worth your consideration.
$1.99 (free trail available) o2 Interactive

1. Whiteboard

Drawing applications are the cocktail napkins of the new millennium, and everyone should have at least one available to them to capture their ideas in the boardroom, over lunch or while commuting home. Whiteboard for the PlayBook allows for both typed and digit/stylus input, making it a great option for your next brainstorming session or jotting down a quick phone number.
$0.99 - Josh Ho

Friday, August 5, 2011

Top 10 Free Apps For Blackberry Playbook


The winner of the 2010 BlackBerry Super Apps Developer Challenge comes to the Playbook, helping you find businesses, restaurants, movies, and events near you. It also retrieves phone numbers and map directions with one click. It’s great for planning nights out – You can read reviews of restaurants and make reservations, and watch movie trailers and buy tickets.
A must download for the movie buffs, MovieNews shows you the latest DVD and theatre releases, upcoming films, and cast and crew listings.
Plan your week by checking the forecast for multiple cities around the world. It’s got a great layout but it is a bit laggy. Hopefully that will be corrected in the next update.
Get breaking news on the playoffs including schedules, scores, analysis, and tweets from the Hockeycentral panel. We’re hoping to see the Canucks face off with the Habs in the finals for the Stanley Cup!
This handy app is great for tackling your to-do list. You can create unlimited tasks or projects and include info such as the time needed to finish a task and filtering criteria like tags. It doesn’t require an internet connection so you can access your 'to do' list anywhere.
Heading to Japan, Russia, or France? Download this speech recognition app and let it translate words or phrases for you. Translate text by either speaking or typing and the translation will appear in the text box. You can translate by speaking text in seven languages and listen to translations read aloud in 18 languages. It currently supports Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Chinese and more languages are on the way.
Stuck for dinner ideas? Use this app to get access to over 700 recipes. Mouth-watering photos accompany the recipes, as well as nutritional information. Search by keyword or categories and bookmark your favourites with a star.
Display your photos in this easy to use virtual photo frame. Show them off them individually or as a slide show.
Access your DropBox account with this simple to use app. You can create folders, copy, cut and rename files. The functionality is still very basic at this point. For example, you can’t upload files to Dropbox. It has promise though, and the developer is planning on adding the ability to upload and download files using the Playbook’s shared file system.
It’s no Doodle Jump but this entertaining puzzle game is pretty addictive. The gameplay involves drawing a line in order to get the balls to fall and roll into the container and features some pretty creative graphics.
Let us know if you have any favourite Playbook apps!

The best 5 Blackberry Playbook apps are here


BlackBerry World is in session and PlayBook talk is all over the web. A lot of that talk centers around apps for the PlayBook, particularly the lack of them. There aren’t many apps for the BlackBerry tablet, but there are a few that are pretty darn good. Here are my picks for the top 5 free apps currently available for the BlackBerry Playbook. I only include third party apps on this list and not any preinstalled on the tablet.
GeeReader. This app is an RSS reader that interfaces with Google Reader. It has a very clever UI that takes full advantage of the PlayBook’s 7-inch screen, and is fun to use. Sadly, like many PlayBook apps it doesn’t work in portrait orientation, but the landscape display is really good. There is a lot of swiping action possible that makes it fast and fun to speed through a lot of RSS feed items. Landscape only.
Poynt. Location-based apps are a perfect fit for the tablet, and Poynt is a nice one. Using Poynt is as simple as tapping what you’re looking for, food, businesses, gas, etc. It is lightning fast on the PlayBook and makes nice use of the maps in the program. It’s a particularly nice way to find movies in local theaters. Landscape only.
WeatherEye. You can’t have a mobile device without a good weather app and WeatherEye is simple but nicely designed. It interfaces with the The Weather Network and supplies complete information about the weather from hourly forecasts to long-term predictions. The graphics are nicely done and the app runs fast and fluidly. Honorable mention in this category goes to the preinstalled AccuWeather app. It may be good enough for many users, and has a nice interface. Landscape only.
Reader’s Digest. This publication is as American as apple pie and hot dogs, and the app is a great way to spend free time reading the folksy articles it is famous for. Downloading an issue of the periodical takes a good while as it involves hundred of megabytes of data, but one installed it is a good experience spinning through the edition. The app is free but I suspect new issues of the periodical will cost a few bucks. It’s worth it for those who like Reader’s Digest. Portrait only.
FourPlay. FourSquare users will want to check out this app for working with the service on the PlayBook. There is not a native FourSquare app, but FourPlay does a decent job with the basic functions of using the service. You can find venues and check-in as expected, and the app is fast and pleasant to use. Landscape only.
These are not the only apps in the App World, but are a good place to start for new PlayBook owners. There are some notable apps missing from this list, Facebook in particular. This app was just released for the PlayBook, and frankly I am disappointed with how it uses the tablet display. I find the Facebook site in the browser to be a much better experience.

Bubble Birds HD


If you’re a fan of the classic game Bubble Shooter you’ll probably get a kick out of Bubble Birds HD for the Playbook.
Shoot as many sets of three or more same color bubble birds to get as many points as humanly possible.
Features:
  • Nice bird theme graphics
  • Hours worth of gameplay

NEED FOR SPEED Undercover for PlayBook


Drive real cars really fast in NEED FOR SPEED Undercover for the Playbook. You’ll get to race 20 of the fastest cars on the planet, such as the Porsche Carrera GT.
Features:
  • Output the game to any HDMI TV or device
  • Quick Race mode
  • Race any of the 20 cars from the Tri City
  • 8 race modes
  • 3 unique environments
  • Trick out your ride
  • Earn performance upgrades
Download NEED FOR SPEED Undercover for free from the App World.

Sling Golf – Golf is not just for humans


Ready for a few rounds of golf? Practice your golf swing in the game Sling Golf for the Playbook. Choose from different fun characters and play multiple golf courses.
Features:
  • 3 different courses
  • Each course has 9 holes (27 total)
  • 3 golf characters
  • Achievements and awards waiting to be unlocked
  • Neat animations and sounds
  • New courses will be added periodically
Download Sling Golf for $2.99 from the App World.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Drums App

Become a drumming legend with Drums For BlackBerry® PlayBook™.

Features:

- A full drum kit set.
- 18 different kit sounds including a rock kit, electronic kit, hip-hop kit plus many more!
- Adjustable volume - change the volume of the drum kit to suit your audience.
- Adjustable sustain - change the length of the sound played.
- Adjustable pan - change the stereo output of the drum kit.
- Visual feedback of hit drums.
- Designed specifically for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™.

Drums For BlackBerry® PlayBook™ is a must for anyone, from the tone-deaf to music making enthusiasts, budding musicians to expert instrumentalists.
Download Drums For BlackBerry® PlayBook™ now and start playing today!

Download it here.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

New power menu, better Facebook app and more coming to the Blackberry Playbook


The PlayBook isn't even two months old yet and it's already scored a second update to its QNX-based OS. First up from BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 is an upgraded Facebook app, which is now a preloaded part of the system software and can do some really neat things... like delete unwanted messages. Devs will be happy to hear that they can include in-app payments, while our European friends should be excited about the expanded language support. There are a few other welcome changes, including some enterprise-friendly tweaks to video chat, a new pop-up power menu (pictured above), and the ability to charge even when the device is turned off -- a constraint we're sure had at least a few owners pulling a Picard-like facepalm. The update is available now and, while you wait for it download, check out the source link for more details.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Facebook v1.0.5 for Blackberry Playbook


Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook
A new BlackBerry® Tablet OS update is now available! BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 introduces a variety of new features and enhancements, I’ve compiled a handy list of important need-to-know information so you can hit the ground running with your updated BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Let’s do this!
Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Update and Preload
In addition being available on the BlackBerry App World™ storefront, the first tablet-optimized Facebook® application will come preloaded within BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5. The Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app has been updated to include video uploading, Message deletion, Facebook Search enhancements and more! There’s so much in the Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet update that we gave the app its own post, so click the link and check it out!
In-App Payments Support
The BlackBerry App World storefront now enables BlackBerry PlayBook applications with in-app payment support. Whether it’s buying another level in a game, or a new edition of a magazine, in-app payment support means dynamic possibilities for BlackBerry PlayBook applications and better apps for users. Developers should read this important post, Introducing the BlackBerry Payment Service and BlackBerry Payment Service SDK, to learn more about updating and submitting their apps to include in-app payment support.
Additional BlackBerry Tablet OS Enhancements
BlackBerry PlayBook Battery Indicator
BlackBerry PlayBook Charging and Battery Pop-up:
  • The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet can now be charged even when fully powered down.
  • BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 now alerts you if you are using an incorrect charger with your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. For example, if you accidentally plug a BlackBerry smartphone charger into the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet you will now receive an alert on the screen to let you know that this charger will not charge your tablet.
  • After touching the battery indicator on the top right corner of the home screen, a pop-up will appear and you can now choose to restart the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, turn it off, or put it into standby mode. You can also adjust the screen brightness from this same pop-up.
Additional Language Support:
    With BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5, we have added support for the following languages: French, Italian, Dutch, German, Spanish, and UK English.
Video Chat Connectivity:
    We’ve added support for the TURN (Traversal Using Relay NAT) protocol, which enhances Video Chat connections between users when their call is crossing between a public network and an enterprise network behind a firewall.
Wi-Fi Hotspot Detection:
    Automatic Wi-Fi hotspot detection in the BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5 makes it easier to connect to a Wi-Fi hotspot (at a coffee shop or airport, for example) during the set up process.
Headset Audio Boost:
    This new option allows you to add an extra level of volume to help maintain an enjoyable audio experience with your headset in noisier areas, such as airplanes.
How to upgrade to BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5
Users who purchase and activate a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on or after Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 will be automatically updated to v1.0.5 as part of the BlackBerry PlayBook setup process. Existing BlackBerry PlayBook users will be presented with a software update notification on the BlackBerry PlayBook status ribbon, or they can go check for the software update at any time in the Settings Menu under Software Updates.
Post a comment and let us know what you think of these new features added to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

3 Tips for Multi-Tasking on your Blackberry Playbook


Today I want to highlight some tips to help you multi-task – because, let’s face it, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is built for this! I’ll show you a nice tip for viewing notifications, switching to another song or changing settings on the fly, as well as my favorite gesture, full screen application switching. I’ll also share some insight into how you can customize the way your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet applications respond when you are switching between applications.
Grab your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet so you can try these tips out yourself, and let’s get started.
Peeking at the Status Bar
After becoming familiar with this gesture, I started to use it every time I pick up my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. This feature allows you to quickly display the status bar while using another application, which means you can do things like lock your screen orientation or switch to another song – really handy!
All you need to do is swipe in from the top left or top right while using another application. To get back to your application, just tap the center of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. For a visual overview, check out the screenshots below showing the before and after effects of using this feature.
Here’s what it looks like before:
And after swiping in from the top left or right while using another application, such as the browser – notice the status bar appears along the top:
Once you’ve finished making changes, tap the center of the screen to hide the status bar and return to your application or game.
Full Screen Application Switching
In addition to swiping up from the bottom bezel when using multiple applications and selecting the application you’d like to use from the home screen, you can also do full screen application switching. This means that if an application you want to switch to is already open and you are using another application, you can switch to the other application by swiping in from the left (or right bezel), then swiping left or right on the center of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to cycle through the various applications you have opened. You can also close applications using this gesture by flicking up. In the following example, I captured a screenshot while my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet was changing applications from the browser to the help application:
Tip: To take a screenshot of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, press both volume keys, and a screenshot will be taken and placed in your camera folder. However,this feature doesn’t work if you are using BlackBerry® Bridge™ and are using a BlackBerry Enterprise Server, so be sure turn off Bluetooth® before taking a screenshot if you are using BlackBerry Bridge.
Set the behaviour of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet applications
By default, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is designed to allow applications to stay active in the background, unless another application is full-screen. To do this, tap the Gear icon that appears on your home screen and select “General”. On this screen, you’ll be able to set your desired application behaviour from one of the following options:
  • Showcase – All open applications are active and never pause in the background.
  • Default – An application stays active in the background until another application goes full screen.
  • Paused – All applications are paused in the background and activated when tapped.
Switching the default setting to “Showcase” mode is a great way to show off the power of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet by having all applications active all the time. However, this can impact battery life if you forget that you are running an application in the background. You should be careful about keeping all your applications open when using this mode.