In today’s BlackBerry School lesson i’ll be covering the oft discussed issue of powering on and off and putting the BlackBerry PlayBook to sleep. There’s been much discussion about the PlayBook’s power button and gesture-sensitive bezel and I’ll be separating the fact from fiction here at TheBerryFix BlackBerry School. Join me past the break for the full lesson.

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News…

• BestBuy quite impressed with BlackBerry PlayBook sales , says BestBuy representative
• PlayBook App Alert: News apps for PlayBook
• Doom for the BlackBerry PlayBook now available in App World
• New Level Available for Paperplane on the BlackBerry PlayBook
• OS 6.0.0.576 for the Bold 9700 and Curve 3G 9300 Leaked
• Stream CTV programming to your BlackBerry PlayBook
• Looking for accessories from Built for BlackBerry Partners? We have the full list
• Twitter for BlackBerry 2.0 now available in App World
• Poll: How is the battery life on your PlayBook?
• Getting the most out of the PlayBook optimized BlackBerry.com web page
• BlackBerry Monza, Bold Touch, and Apollo headed to T-Mobile
• Slacker launches new premium radio service with on-demand access to their music library
• BlackBerry PlayBook pre orders now available from Carphone Warehouse, shipping June 16th
• Tungle.me now available for your BlackBerry Smartphone and PlayBook
• RIM responds regarding the PlayBook recall from Staples

If you liked the original game of Doom for PC you’ll probably enjoy this port onto the PlayBook. I’ve been playing the game for the past hour and I’m going to say that its pretty good for first port but I wouldn’t give it my seal of approval just yet. There are a few things like the touch screen controls that need some work, and the developer knows that, but hey it’s free. Pick up the new game for the BlackBerry PlayBook called PlayDoom today from App World.

• Download PlayDoom for the BlackBerry PlayBook
  

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.

So the PlayBook reviews have all come out and its been on sale for over a month, with those out-of-the-way what else is there to discuss (other than apps and accessories)? Well how well it’s selling of course.

What I’ve noticed is that no one really has a straight answer. First we have RBC analysts estimating over 250,000 PlayBooks have been sold in the first month, which means it out sold the zoom and is the second best-selling tabet on the market, but then there’s the polar opposite. With some reporting that a major retailer fell more than 90% short of their target.

We’ve been able to acquire a statement from the largest electronics retailer in the US regarding PlayBook sales, and this is what a BestBuy representative had to say,

Best Buy has had great success selling BlackBerry smartphones in North America, so our sales expectations for the BlackBerry PlayBook were very high. To date, we have far exceeded those expectations and we’re finding that customers are even more interested in purchasing once they’ve tested the PlayBook in the store.

 
So while BestBuy has seen success we can’t comment for other retailers, because we have yet to receive statements, but we’re working on it. Until then we shall leave the speculation aside until RIM them self make a comment on PlayBook sales, which should come on June 16th.

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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Here in Canada we don’t have the likes of Hulu to stream all those hilarious primetime television shows to our portable devices, so we need to make do with what we have. Yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine who was asking if I’ve been to CTV.ca on my PlayBook and while I have been, it was pre-PlayBook launch so I decided to give it another go.

After hearing about all the bans of web-based entertainment on the PlayBook like Rdio and Hulu I hadn’t set my hopes to high, but surprisingly enough it worked like a charm and I was watching the latest episode of The Big Bang Theory on my PlayBook. Now I just need to pick-up a micro-HDMI cable so I can stream this to the big screen and have my PlayBook as a giant remote control.

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

**Update: Looks like RIM has moved the file, we are looking for it and should have an update soon.

Since RIM launched the BlackBerry PlayBook about a month ago AT&T users have been left in the dark regarding the Bridge app for their BlackBerry smartphones, Since AT&T told RIM they don’t want it available through app world. Pretty much on day one a BlackBerry users took it upon him/her self to extract the files and make an OTA available for the masses and now it seems that RIM has given the preverbal middle finger to AT&T and has made the files available directly from them for use with Desktop Manager.

If your still looking for the OTA it can be found here, but if you would rather download directly from RIM then you can hit up the link here and get the files your self, and AT&T users can rejoice!

Source: BerryReview

Today it seems that battery life on the PlayBook is a hot topic on the web with Al Sacco from CIO posting on how he has come to learn that battery life has been severely impacted by the most recent operating system update that was released during BlackBerry World at the start of May.

So I wanted to know how many of our readers were experiencing issues with battery life, I currently get around 6-7 hrs of use which isn’t bad. Sound off in the comments if you’ve noticed a big battery life change since the recent OS update.

One thing you may have noticed when viewing Blackberry.com from your PlayBook is that RIM changed up their website and optimized it for use with a touch screen device. I was surfing around it this morning and noticed that there is a lot of useful information hidden within the site, things like device comparison, featured apps and even where to buy a BlackBerry smartphone or PlayBook.

After the break I’m going to dissect how to get the most out of BlackBerry.com on your PlayBook. So follow me after the break, and if you have a PlayBook follow along by going to BlackBerry.com.

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As the weeks progress developers are working hard pushing out updates for their apps, and today the developers of “Stop the Invasion” have updated their application to v1.2.4. The update brings a few new levels, enhanced in-game graphics and game play speed adjustment. I’m curious to see what games our readers have discovered in App World on the PlayBook, sound off in the comments below on what game or app you’re playing.

Continuing on my quest to bring the best PlayBook apps to our readers, I came across Air Hockey. This game will be familiar to anyone who has every played a game of air hockey in the arcade. The premise of this game is simple, grab your mallet and put the puck into you opponent’s goal. Air Hockey is a very basic game that requires a lot of development work to get it right. Caner Altinbasak has done an excellent job on this app.

Air Hockey is available as a free version or paid version. The free version offers single-player gameplay with 4 difficulty levels. The paid version, Air Hockey Gold, is $0.99 and brings multiplayer support, multi-puck games, and an additional “Insane” difficulty level. If you’re looking for a good and fun PlayBook game, Air Hockey is a good option to check out.

• Download Air Hockey (free) from App World

• Download Air Hockey Gold from App World

In the age of technology that we currently live in, it seems as if everyone is getting their information online  One of the most popular ways that people get their news online is through Rss feeds from their favorite sites. There are a few Rss readers available for the PlayBook, but none are as good looking and feature-packed as Pipeline.

Sure, you could always use Google Reader or another feed reader in the browser, but many would prefer a standalone app. Pipeline is one of the best available for PlayBook. Not only is Pipeline a full-featured Rss reader, it also features a convenient local weather feed and integration with Facebook and Twitter. If you are looking for a great Rss reader for PlayBook, I highly recommend Pipeline. There is a free 14-day trial available and then the app is $2.99. Give the free version a go and then purchase the Pro version after your trial ends.  You can get your copy of Pipeline by searching App World or clicking the link below.

• Download Pipeline (free) from App World
• Download Pipeline Pro from App World