Big news coming out of Washington, by way of Waterloo, today. BlackBerry has announced that BlackBerry 10 has officially been approved by the Department of Defense for US Government use. This new ruling includes use of BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10,  the BlackBerry Z10, the BlackBerry Q10, and BlackBerry PlayBooks running OS 2.0. This is huge news for BlackBerry, especially considering iOS and Android devices have now received the same approvals. The war for DOD smartphone use is just beginning and BlackBerry is bringing all they have to the fight. Check out the full Press Release from BlackBerry after the break.

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BlackBerry has just released an update to the software for BlackBerry PlayBooks. While it’s not a full BlackBerry 10 update, the 133MB PlayBook update brings some great changes and lays the groundwork for bringing BlackBerry 10 to the device. The changes that come with this update include:

• Browser Improvements
• Audio Boost
• BlackBerry World Storefront rebranding
• SMS over Bridge
• And much more

You can download this update immediately on your PlayBook. If it’s not showing up automatically, just check for a new update in the settings menu to trigger the download. Keep in mind that this update will be available immediately for WiFi PlayBook owners and it will rollout to 4G PlayBooks with carrier approval.

Here’s a surprise update coming from RIM just hours before the official BlackBerry 10 unveiling tomorrow. They have updated BlackBerry Bridge for BlackBerry Smartphones to version 3.0. Typically we see a BlackBerry PlayBook OS update when we see an update to the Smartphone companion app, so this could mean that RIM has another Tablet OS 2 update coming tomorrow or they could have a nice BlackBerry 10 surprise for PlayBook owners coming soon.  This update is available now in BlackBerry World, however, it could take up to 24 hours to fully for all users worldwide.

RIM has updated the BlackBerry PlayBook Operating System again tonight. The update brings the OS to version 2.1.0.1088. The update addresses some issues that users were having with keeping contacts and calendars loaded up on their PlayBook. There are a few other minor fixes and improvements, but nothing notable. This update is for the WiFi-only version of the PlayBook. 4G LTE PlayBooks will be updated by carriers as the updates are approved.

Halloween is just around the corner and RIM has just released a list of apps for both BlackBerry Smartphone and PlayBook users to get you into the Halloween spirit. There are a wide range of apps on the list, everything from games to themes. Check out this list and see what apps you want to help get you into the Halloween spirit.

• Haunted Halloween Theme – A spooky animated theme, watch as your screen comes alive with shooting stars, curious critters, a haunted house and more.  And for a limited time, Motek Americas will be offering the theme for only $0.99.
• Halloween Avatar Pack – Disguise your BBM profile picture with Jingu Avatars’ Halloween pack.  The scary part?  It’s free.
• Horror Soundbox by AMA – If you want ready to make your friends (or enemies) jump out of their skin, download zaOza’s special Sound Box. Choose from spine-chilling screams, the sound of limbs being ripped off, deadly groans, creaking doors and more.

For BlackBerry PlayBook users:

• Hidden Object – Night of the Spirits – Staying in?  Get into the Halloween spirit as you find objects and observe the spirits coming out at night.  Night of the Spirits is a challenging and spooky hidden object game.
• Jack O’Lantern Maker – Too lazy to go out and grab a pumpkin?  With Jack O’ Lantern Maker you can carry the Halloween spirit with you anywhere you go! Decorate your pumpkin, choose it’s shape, stalk, eyes, nose, mouth, light color, background, and you can even add some extra decorations on the background.
• Plants vs. Zombies for BlackBerry PlayBook – Stem a zombie attack on your PlayBook!  A mob of fun-loving zombies is about to invade your home, and your only defense is an arsenal of 49 zombie-zapping plants. Use peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more to slow down, confuse, weaken and mulchify 26 types of zombies before they can reach your front door.  For a limited time, EA is offering the addicting game for 50% off.  No tricks, just treats.

Happy Halloween from BlackBerry and TheBerryFix.com!

RIM has been doing a nice job of partnering with developers to give away free apps to their loyal users. The latest offering from RIM, CreaVures and SHADOWGUN, brings two top-notch PlayBook games at a $10 value. The offer is good from now until October 31st and both games come from developer Union, utilizing their awesome Unity 3D game rendering engine. Read on past the break for more information on both games, as well as the download links for each.

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RIM has just released the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 update and they have also released an updated version of BlackBerry Bridge to go with it. BlackBerry Bridge v2.1.0.26 is now available from App World. Here are the changes for this version:

• View and respond to text messages on your PlayBook
• BlackBerry Bridge can now use Wi-Fi to transfer bridge data when the BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook are connected to the same Wi-Fi network
• Improved stability with pairing and includes connectivity bug fixesVarious improvements to the overall user experience
• Support for PlayBook OS 2.1

If you’re a PlayBook user, be sure to update your BlackBerry Bridge for all the latest features and OS 2.1 support. Grab it from the link below.

• Download BlackBerry Bridge in App World

RIM has finally released BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 to all PlayBook owners. This release has been in Beta testing with developers for a few months and is now ready for public consumption. Some of the major changes RIM is highlighting include:

• Updated BlackBerry Bridge: Now you can view, respond and compose new SMS messages on their BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet when connected to a BlackBerry smartphone over Bluetooth®. You’ll also enjoy increased performance and speed of other BlackBerry Bridge functions as well. So you can do more, more efficiently. Txt away, my friends.
• Email and PIM Enhancements: You’ve asked for it and we’ve delivered portrait support for email, calendar and contacts, giving you the option to use your tablet in either orientation to message. This will definitely come in handy for those of you who enjoy thumb typing in portrait mode like I do.
• Improved Android Application Support: Includes Multi-Window Applications, Camera Support and In-App Payments. We all love a richer app experience, and with the improvements to the Android runtime, that’s just what you’ll get. Running the applications in separate windows allows you to multi-task between Android apps easier, and in-app payments will make it easier for you to enhance your app content. Game on!
• Secure all data on the tablet: the enterprise-grade encryption can now be extended to secure personal data stored on the device
• Print To Go Update: “Print” documents from a PC to a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet using the Print To Go app even if the PC and tablet are connected to different networks;
• Enterprise Improvements: Improvements to Enterprise functions including over-the-air enrollment to the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion server, support for ActiveSync certificate-based authentication, and additional IT Policy controls.

To update your PlayBook OS, just tap the update notification icon on the menu bar when it pops up. If you don’t want to wait for the notification, you can manually check for the update by going into the settings menu, tapping “Software Updates” and then tapping “Check for Updates.”

Important Compatibility Note: This update is only available for WiFi-only BlackBerry PlayBook models in 16, 32, or 64GB. The 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook is updated by the respective carrier and not by RIM directly. Your carrier will need to approve a version of OS 2.1 and push it out if you’re using a 4G LTE PlayBook

Source : Inside BlackBerry

We’ve been patiently waiting for RIM to release PlayBook OS 2.1 to consumers for a few months now. They released a Beta for developers a while back and have issued subsequent updates. Now, it’s looking like we will be seeing PlayBook OS 2.1 hitting all PlayBook tomorrow. A leaked carrier document shows the update date to be October 3, 2012 and has a long list of updates, including:

• Allows PIM (Messages, Calendar, Contacts) to be viewed in portrait orientation
• PIM – Deep Folder Hierarchy. Previously, if a customer had multiple nested folders within email
• Allows for WiFi to be used for Bridge between 2 devices if they’re on the same WiFi network
• BlackBerry Bridge will now support viewing SMS messages on the PlayBook
• Print to Go will now work across different networks
• Android apps will now be run in separate windows instead of one window for every Android app
• Android apps will now have the ability to use the PlayBook camera
• A customer will now be able to make in-app payments within Android apps

While this doesn’t guarantee a release tomorrow, it certainly sets us up for a release sometime in the next week or so. We’ll let you know as soon as OS 2.1 becomes available for download.

Source : Mobile Syrup

RIM released some information on a BES 5 and Mobile Fusion update this morning and they made some blog posts to accompany those updates. Hidden in one of those blog posts was some information confirming that BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1 is releasing soon. The post states:

“Updates for BlackBerry Device Service that involve functionality for managing BlackBerry PlayBook tablets will become functional after the upcoming release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1.”

So there it is for all the people asking about the PlayBook OS 2.1 update. It’s not an official release date or anything, but it is confirmation that the release is “upcoming” and we will hopefully be seeing it on our PlayBooks very soon. We’ll let you know as soon as the update is announced and when it’s available, as well as keeping you up on all the latest BlackBerry news.

This week has been quite confusing with news of BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BlackBerry 10, BlackBerry 7, and Mobile Fusion. It started earlier this week with BGR posting an “exclusive” story detailing how BlackBerry 10 would essentially destroy the existing BES structure and be a huge headache for enterprise IT managers. CrackBerry, and even RIM, countered the BGR story with some posts of their own, and now we’re bringing all the news together so you can understand what is coming with the BES transition and BlackBerry 10. Follow me past the break for the full explanation.

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This post isn’t bringing you any current BlackBerry-related news; however, the news is great for T-Mobile customers who are looking to grab a shiny, new BlackBerry 10 device when they launch early next year. T-Mobile has announced a new, unlimited 4G LTE Data plan that will be launching on September 5th. The new unlimited 4G Data plan will run you $20/month with a Value Voice plan or $30/month with a Classic Voice plan. This is great news for prospective BlackBerry 10 owners who will be hungry for some 4G data. Check out the T-Mobile Press Release past the break.

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The team over at Kisai Labs has been continually hard at work on updates to the #1 Twitter client for the BlackBerry PlayBook, Blaq. The latest update brings a ton of bug fixes  to the client. The version number of this update is 1.8.4 and here are the changes:

• Even smoother scrolling
• Auto-reconnect real-time streaming on dropped connections
• Performance and bug fixes

In addition to working on the Blaq Twitter app for the BlackBerry PlayBook, the Blaq team is hard at work preparing the client for the BlackBerry 10 launch. You can expect to see an even better Blaq experience when BlackBerry 10 launches. The team is also working hard to keep Blaq available with the new changes in Twitter’s rules. In the meantime, grab the update or purchase Blaq for you PlayBook at the link below.

• Download Blaq for BlackBerry PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE was released last week in Canada and it was announced that a US launch would soon follow. We all assumed that Verizon and AT&T would be the two US carriers launching the 4G PlayBook. Now, we have some additional evidence that confirms AT&T is testing out the PlayBook. In the latest PlayBook Developer Beta OS Preview two new icons are showing up. Those two icons are direct AT&T links, one of which is a link to the AT&T website and the other is a link to AT&T’s FamilyMap service.

While this doesn’t guarantee a 4G PlayBook launch on AT&T, it sure gives us a good indication that it may be coming. Also, this obviously not a planned application release by either RIM or AT&T. This is most likely a mistake on the part of RIM and we may see these icons removed shortly. We’ll let you know if and when we hear more on this possible mix-up.

RIM has released a new version of the OS 2.1 Developer Beta Preview for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The updated OS, version 2.1.0.840, is a full OS update, coming in at 458 MB. The update brings lots of new features and support to the PlayBook and updates the following application environments:

• Android Runtime
• Adobe AIR
• WebWorks
• Native API

If you’re a BlackBerry Developer, you can head on over to the link below to register your PlayBook and install the Developer Beta. If you already have the previous Beta installed, try checking for updates. If you aren’t getting the update, you can register again to have it pushed automatically.

• Register for and Download the PlayBook Beta OS