RIM has released the BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE in Canada today. While we haven’t been able to get our hands on one yet (since we are a US based site…), RIM has posted a nice hands-on demo of the new 4G PlayBook. The video features Donny from the Inside BlackBerry Blog interviewing the 4G PlayBook’s Product Manager, Shaun. You can check out the video above or click the link below to see the original post on Inside BlackBerry.

• Check out the Inside BlackBerry Blog with the 4G BlackBerry PlayBook

RIM has gone ahead and officially announced the often rumored BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE. The updated 4G PlayBook will be the same size as the current WiFi model, but will feature 4G LTE, HSPA+, and an updated 1.5 GHz processor.  The new 4G PlayBook will only be available with 32GB of sotrage space, rather than the 16 and 64GB versions offered with the WiFi model.

The 4G PlayBook isn’t available today; however, it’ll be launched on select wireless carriers in Canada on August 9th. The 4G PlayBook will be making the rounds to the US, Europe, and other countries in the coming months. Check past the break for the full Press Release from RIM regarding the launch and availability of the BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE.

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**Update: CrackBerry has confirmed that these boxes do indeed contain the security display devices for BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE devices. Look for the launch sometime this week or next.

We had originally heard that the BlackBerry PlayBook 4G was slated for a Q4 2012 Launch and then we heard last week that date had been pushed up to July 31, 2012. Well, yesterday was July 31st and the day came and went without any PlayBook 4G launches. However, that doesn’t mean that the 4G PlayBook isn’t coming very soon. Select Rogers stores across Canada have been receiving display security packages marked “PlayBook Security.” This indicates that the stores should be getting the 4G PlayBook in sometime soon and we should see a launch in the coming weeks. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear more.

Source : MobileSyrup

As we reported earlier this week with the 4G BlackBerry PlayBook release information,  there is an OS update planned to release soon for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The full rollout of OS 2.1 for the PlayBook is set to debut soon, most likely coordinating with the release of the 4G BlackBerry PlayBook which is set for a July 31st retail debut. As noted in the OS 2.1 document pictured above, and see in the current Developer Preview of 2.1, there are many new features and improvements coming in this release. Check past the break for the full list of features that are confirmed coming with the OS 2.1 release.

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Source : CrackBerry

The team from Kisai Labs has updated their popular PlayBook Twitter client to version1.8.3. Blaq was already the best Twitter client available for the BlackBerry PlayBook, and with this update, they made it even better. Here’s the list of what’s changed with the update:

What’s New?

•  Inline photo and video previews
• Hash tag auto-append is now optional
• Streamlined tweet card (no longer overlaps the timeline)
• Profile image caching
• Hardware acceleration (smoother scrolling)
• Reduced memory footprint

Bug Fixes

•  Quote RT doesn’t include the full link
• Text on the top of the tweet card now scrolls instead of overlapping
• Keyboard disappears when selecting a username from auto-complete
• Keyboard remains on screen when using the go-to-user feature
• Classic RT/Quote RT is sent in reply to original tweet
• Broken links when opening in the native browser
• Bad scrolling in Options > Muting
• Avatars overlap when multiple accounts are configured
• Other bug and performance fixes

You can grab a copy of Blaq for yourself at the link below for just $1.99 or get the update in App World if you’re already a user.

• Download Blaq for BlackBerry PlayBook

The Blackberry Playbook is rumoured to be getting an update to OS 2.1 in the coming months. Thanks to some lucky people attending the shindig down in Orlando, it has been reported that the Playbook will be releasing a developers build by the end of the month and should be releasing it to the rest of us sometime around the beginning of the summer!

It looks as though this could be a rather hefty update, check out some of the new features  listed below.

• Portrait Email, Calendar, and Contacts
• App World Carrier Shelf
• Bridge Texting and WiFi Transport Support
• Android Multi-Tasking
• Camera API and In-app Payments for developers
• Over-the-air activation with Mobile fusion
• Personal Encryption

Source : Berryreview.com

Kisai Labs has updated their popular Twitter client for BlackBerry PlayBook, Blaq. The update, v1.7.1, is a maintenance release designed to fix lots of issues and make your Tweeting experience even better. The changes include:

• Timeline position is held if new tweets are loaded while scrolled (instead of jumping to top)
• Reduced application size
• Reduced memory footprint
• Big performance improvements
• Improved scrolling
• New splash screen
• E-mail Tweet
• Font appearance preview

And here are some significant bug fixes:

• Real-time streaming fixes (caused by server changes to Twitter’s streaming on Monday)
• Long urls in tweets sometimes overflow into the tweet below them
• Mini browser does not rotate when moving from portrait to landscape and vice versa
• Tweets over 140 characters are still sendable if the virtual keyboard’s return key is used
• When tweeting a photo, a lack of space between the link and surrounding text make it unclickable
• When replying to a retweet, replies should be directed to original tweeter
• Duplicate tweets

It’s obvious with a change log this large that the Blaq team has been hard at work making their Twitter client the best one available for the BlackBerry PlayBook, and they won’t stop here. They are constantly working on new features and fixes and if you haven’t checked Blaq out yet, you definitely should. You can grab it for just $1.99 from the link below.

• Download Blaq for BlackBerry PlayBook

The new Nexus App for the PlayBook makes sharing files over a local WiFi network as easy as opening an application on your device.  Simply download the app on each PlayBook that you want to share files with and you’re good to go. Whether you’re sharing files for work or for play the new Nexus app for PlayBook has you covered. You can check out the full app description and download links past the break.

• Nexus for Blackberry Playbook Demo Video here

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Source : Playbook Daily

RIM’s CEO, Thorsten Heins, came onto today’s earnings call to discuss a few things with the BlackBerry Nation. One thing he touched on was the BlackBerry PlayBook adoption rate. RIM has shipped over 500,000 PlayBooks in this last quarter and that there are now over 1 Million BlackBerry PlayBooks users around the world. This is a good achievement for RIM and PlayBook adoption will help drive smartphone adoption when BlackBerry 10 hits.

Another topic Heins touched on was BlackBerry 10. He reassured investors that BlackBerry 10 device development is still going according to schedule. The development cycle is nearing completion and the devices will begin hitting carriers this summer for Carrier Acceptance Testing, a process that takes a few months. He also reiterated a point we have heard many times in recent months, BlackBerry 10 will be hitting store shelves and getting into consumer hands sometime late in calendar year 2012.

BeWeather is one of the most popular and full-featured weather applications available for BlackBerry Smartphones. It’s such a great app that RIM has even included it in their “Compliments of BlackBerry” app giveaway for OS 7 users. As of today, you can all the weather information that you know and love from BeWeather right on your BlackBerry Playbook. Bellshare has released the app, BeWeather HD, for the BlackBerry PlayBook. This app has many of the features and graphics from the Smartphone version, including:

• 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

So, whether you’re already a big fan of BeWeather on your BlackBerry Smartphone or you’re just looking for a great weather app for your PlayBook, hit the link below and download BeWeather HD today. It’s just $4.99 and will bring you all the weather information you could ever need.

• Download BeWeather HD for BlackBerry PlayBook

RIM is looking for techies to come help jumpstart the Native SDK Gaming Development of the Playbook. RIM is offering developers more incentive to show the Playbook some love with this new contest. Those with a background in C/C++ are encouraged to enter for a chance at a Playbook and 1 of 12 available spots for an intense 2-day training session to learn the fundamentals needed to create and release games for the Playbook.

The conference will cover:

• Set up a development environment to create a Native BlackBerry PlayBook tablet game
• Create, compile package and deploy a Native (C/C++) BlackBerry PlayBook tablet game
• Incorporate 3rd party libraries into your app
• Interact with different BlackBerry PlayBook tablet components such as accelerometer, keyboard, etc.
• Have a solid understanding of the available native networking components
• Setup a system for in-game purchases and subscriptions
• Use the Scoreloop™ SDK to share gamer scores and achievements

The contest is open to residents of Canada and the US (excluding Quebec (sorry)), must have C or C++ experience with OpenGL experience being a plus but not required.

• To enter and find out more, Click Here

*Update: We have also learned that a 4G LTE version of the new BlackBerry PlayBook has passed through the FCC. You can read those FCC filings HERE.**

We have heard about the BlackBerry PlayBook 3G+ a few times over the past few months, but nothing has been officially announced. Now, this rumored tablet has made its way through the FCC, completing the required certification process for all mobile electronics in America. This new tablet will have HSPA+ connectivity, as revealed by the FCC Certification documents. The other rumored specs for the 3G+ include a 1.5 GHz processor, NFC, and a March or April launch date. This rumored launch date could certainly be true, especially since we typically see products released within a month of the FCC filings coming available. We’ll let you know as soon as the official word come out from RIM.

• Check out the PlayBook 3G+ Filing from the FCC

Source : Engadget

BlackBerry World is coming up on May 1-3 in Orlando, Florida. Whether you’re a Developer, IT Administrator, or just a BlackBerry user, this conference has something in store for you. Some of the information to be covered at this year’s conference includes:

• BlackBerry 10 Platform
• BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet
• BlackBerry Mobile Fusion
• BlackBerry Roadmap
• BlackBerry Enterprise Server
• BlackBerry Mobile Voice System
• More to come

You can check out the Partial Session Catalog Here. If you plan on heading down for BlackBerry World, try and register before March 23rd. If you do this, you’ll get the $300 Early-Bird Discount applied automatically to your registration fee. Hit the link below to get registered so you don’t miss out on any of the BlackBerry action.

• Register for BlackBerry World Here

RIM promised to release an official version of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 in February. Today is February 21st and RIM has made good on that promise. The official version of the QNX-based, BlackBerry PlayBook OS is now 2.0 and is available via software update on your PlayBook. This is the big update that we’ve all been waiting for and it includes the following:

• Redesigned UI
• Built-in Email
• Android Application Player
• Built-in Contacts and Calendar
• Unified Inbox with Social Feed Integration
• Updated Native PlayBook Applications
• Much, Much More

If you’re looking to upgrade your PlayBook to the official OS 2.0, you’ll just need to open the system menu on your PlayBook by tapping the gear in the upper right-hand corner, tap on “Software Updates,” and tap “Check for Updates.” Your PlayBook should find the OS 2.0 update and prompt you to install. Just let it download and enjoy your “brand new” PlayBook with OS 2.0. The full press release can be found after the break.

New OS delivers an enriched user experience for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users

News…

• These are the hardest words I’ve ever had to write onTheBerryFix.com – “Till we meet again”
• BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Confirmed to Launch Tuesday, February 21st
• Images of the all-new BlackBerry 10 UI leak onto the web
• RIM extends free PlayBook offer to BlackBerry Developers, new and existing
• Best Buy employee training for BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 commences
• OS 7.1 Leaks for a “Bunch” of BlackBerry Smartphones
• DLNA website shows RIM as a vendor offering DLNA enabled products
• Get your peashooters at the ready! Plants vs Zombies by PopCap Games & EA Games Is now available on the PlayBook
• PlayBook OS 2.0 confirmed for February 21st launch via RIM Developer Web Conference