Kick It Up is a game for the BlackBerry PlayBook that takes a simple concept, expands slightly upon it, and then keeps your playing for hours. That simple concept is bouncing a soccer ball without it touching the ground. Sure, when I tell you that today’s featured game is about bouncing a soccer ball, you may think i’m crazy. But I assure you, i’m not. The concept of the game is to bounce the ball as many times as you can without it touching the ground. The game automatically keeps count of how many times you bounce the ball and it saves your high score. To bounce the ball you just tap it with your finger. You can read more about Kick It Up and find the download links after the break.

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Stone Escape is a physics-based puzzler for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The goal of the game is very simple. To beat each level you just guide your stone through the maze to the exit. Actually getting the stone into the exit is where the game becomes difficult. You use the thumbstick to toss the stone through the maze. Controls using the stick are tough to master but once you have it down you won’t be able to stop playing this game.

The levels are well designed as are the graphics and physics behind the game. The goal is to get the stone to the exit as quick as possible. The faster you get the stone to the exit, the more points you’ll earn. This game is very addicting and once you beat each level you’ll want to try over and over to beat your high score. Once you finish the trial version i’ll almost guarantee you will want to purchase the full version. The trial comes with 5 fully-playable levels and is available for free. The full version currently features 20 levels with more to come for just $0.99. You can get either version in App World from the links below.

• Download Stone Escape Trial
• Download Stone Escape Full-Version

Developers that are registered in the Beta Zone have started to get email invitations to the BlackBerry PlayBook OS Beta program. The OS in the program is BlackBerry Tablet OS 1.0.6 and as of now it is only available to select developers registered in the BlackBerry Beta Zone. The invitation email reads as follows:

On behalf of Research In Motion®, we are pleased to tell you about an exclusive Preview Program focused on providing developers a chance to test their applications on BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.6.

The goal of this program is to ensure that your AIR 2.7 and Flash 10.3 applications are optimized and ready for the BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.6 release. Please read this entire notice, as it contains key information about your participation in this program.

This program is only available to a select group of BlackBerry PlayBook developers; as such we are very interested in hearing your comments and experiences.

We have yet to hear from anyone on what this new update brings but we can hope that native email and PIM functions are present in this new OS build. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more on this new OS.

Source: CrackBerry

Currently, Desktop Manager for Mac is only available in private beta leaving the majority of Mac users without the simple music sync option of DM. In today’s BlackBerry School lesson i’m going to walk you through adding music to your PlayBook using just your Mac and sync cable, no Desktop Manager needed. Before we get started, make sure you have your sync cable handy and follow me past the break for the lesson.

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Comb Over Charlie is a new side-scrolling game for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The concept of the game is simple, lead Charlie across the 8 unique levels filled with bad fish while eating worms to keep Charlie’s power level up. There are power-ups and a big boss at the end of each level. The gameplay, concept, and execution are all nearly flawless. Comb Over Charlie is a great example of what gaming on the PlayBook can and should be. The graphics flow well and the controls just work. You can get Comb Over Charlie for just 99 cents in App World and I highly recommend you try it out.

• Download Comb Over Charlie from App World

RIM has just updated BlackBerry Desktop Manager for all the Beta Zone members that have Macs. The new update adds some new features to DM for Mac. The biggest of the new features is PlayBook support. You can now use DM for Mac to do the following with your PlayBook:

• Sync media
• Install/remove programs
• Backup your PlayBook
• Device Switch
• Restore PlayBook

This update is available to Beta Zone members that use a Mac and is a much needed update if you have a PlayBook. You can head on over to the Beta Zone to download the update if you’re a member, and if not, you can join at the link below as well.

• Visit the BlackBerry Beta Zone

Ok, so you spent a ton of cash on your PlayBook and now you’re looking for a case to keep your investment in pristine condition. If you’re looking for a great quality case with classic looks, then look no further than DODO Case. The DODO Case looks like a Moleskine® notebook on the outside but when you flip open the cover there’s a PlayBook inside. DODO cases are great for just about anyone and they are especially awesome if you happen to be a fan of books or Moleskine®.

The case holds your PlayBook securely inside and there is a flap that comes over to protect the screen. The case is held shut by an elastic band so that the cover doesn’t open up while your PlayBook is in transit. There are cutouts on the case so that you can access all the ports and buttons easily with the case installed. You can even flip the cover back and use the case as a stand for watching movies, listening to music, or reading on your PlayBook.

DODO case for the BlackBerry PlayBook comes in four color choices: Red, Blue, Green, and Black. Each case runs $59.95 and is well worth the price. DODO Case is also a member of the “Built for BlackBerry” program, so you can be ensured that the case you’re getting was made especially for your PlayBook by qualified hands. You can pick one up today from the DODO Case website which we have linked to below.

• Purchase a DODO Case for your PlayBook

Today’s BlackBerry School lesson covers a simple topic that many people have been asking about, how to rearrange the icons on your PlayBook homescreen.  The process is simple but isin’t fully apparent at first glance  Follow me past the break to learn all about manipulating the homescreen icons on your PlayBook.

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This morning we featured a line of PlayBook cases by GelaSkins and tonight we are bringing you another product from them. The Wallpapers by GelaSkins app gives you instant access to over 125 wallpapers that are designed to fit the screen size of your BlackBerry PlayBook.This app will be of interest to anyone looking for some great new PlayBook wallpapers and will be of special interest to those that purchase a GellaSkins case. Many of the wallpapers in the app’s library are available as case designs as well. Having both the case an wallpaper allows you to give your PlayBook a unified look. The app is free and i’m sure they will be expanding the wallpaper library with future updates.

• Download Wallpapers by GelaSkins for your PlayBook

A proper Twitter client for the BlackBerry PlayBook has been at the top of the most requested list, right next to native email and calendar, since the PlayBook launched. Today, we have now met that request. Blaq is a full-featured Twitter client that is now available in App World for your PlayBook. The team from Blaq already has a quality client available for BlackBerry smartphones and now you can Blaq-out your PlayBook as well. Blaq has been in beta testing for quite some time and with the official release today we have a great Twitter client. Blaq is available for $1.99 in App World and we highly recommend it.

• Download Blaq for the PlayBook

We all have that one favorite website we check multiple times a day. For some it’s Facebook and others it’s Google Reader. And I know we all want to get to our favorite website as quickly as possible to check out what’s happening there. If you have a BlackBerry PlayBook you can get to all your favorite websites quickly and easily using home screen launchers, also called shortcuts. It today’s lesson I will be walking you through creating a home screen launcher for any website. Follow me past the break for the lesson.

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If you’re a fan of Television networks such as ABC, NBC, and CBS then this may be some exciting news for you. You can watch recent episodes of your favorite shows from these networks right on your BlackBerry PlayBook. Many of you have probably fired up your browser on your desktop or laptop to see an episode of your favorite show that you may have missed, but did you know you can do the same thing right from your PlayBook.

To watch a show from your PlayBook, all you have to do is open up the browser and head over to the site of the network that carries your favorite show. From there you find the link to “watch full episodes” of the desired show and then you can pick and watch an episode. This is one advantage that the PlayBook has over some other tablets on the market. The flash-enabled PlayBook browser allows you to see the web in full, just like on your laptop or desktop computer.

We have tested ABC, NBC, and CBS on our PlayBooks to ensure that episode streaming works through the browser. This should work for most websites that offer streaming video; however, some sites may be blocked due to licensing restrictions. Hulu is one such site that is blocked due to these restrictions. If you find more streaming video sites that work in the PlayBook browser, be sure to let us know so we can get the word out to all out readers.

**All network logos and names are copyright and trademarked to their respective owners.

While the PlayBook’s app catalog is still small, there are a lot of great applications to choose from. For today’s app alert, i’ll be showing you some of the best news apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The news outlets featured here include American and Canadian sources. All three of these news apps are available for download for free in App World. Feel free to check out the apps and find your favorite. And remember, if your favorite news outlet doesn’t have an app for PlayBook yet, they may have one in the works. Read on past the break for a few of my favorite news apps for the PlayBook.

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Amazon has put the BlackBerry PlayBook up for pre-order on their site. The 16 and 32 GB models are listed for $1 off retail price but the 64 GB version is still running right at retail. Amazon is the first online-only retailer that the PlayBook will be offered through. If you’re still holding out or just would prefer to buy from Amazon, now is the time to buy. The PlayBook is eligible for free super saver shipping and will ship on June 1. The pricing is $498, $598, and $699 for the 16, 32, and 64 GB, respectively. You can pre-order your PlayBook from Amazon using the links below.

• Purchase the 16 GB PlayBook from Amazon

• Purchase the 32 GB PlayBook from Amazon

• Purchase the 64 GB PlayBook from Amazon

Source: CrackBerry

RIM started the Built for BlackBerry program a few months back and it has been a great success. The program allows accessory companies to team up with RIM and have their products certified as “Built for BlackBerry.” The program started out with just 7 partners in January and has grown to include 18 partners now. Some companies on the list make accessories for BlackBerry smartphones, some for the PlayBook, and some have accessories for both. You can check out the links below for each company’s individual offerings and you can always check out ShopTheBerryFix.com where we have a wide range of accessories for your BlackBerry. The list of Built for BlackBerry partners with links starts below.

Cases and Accessories

Case-mate
Speck
AG Findings
Dicota
Trexta
Incipio
Otterbox
Coveroo
TRU
Vaja
Targus
Sena
DODOcase

In-Vehicle Solutions

HR(iGrip)
Audiovox
Bury
ProClip USA

Enterprise Accessories

Grabba