After the wild week of PlayBook OS 2.0 and application updates that we had last week, this one was bound to be a little slower. Even though it was a slower week, we still got some good information, like the developments roadmaps to BlackBerry 10, which RIM outlined at Mobile World Congress. Read on for the top stories from this past week.

News…

• RIM details the BlackBerry Platform Roadmap leading to BlackBerry 10
• Check out the future of Wireless Document Sharing – Designed by TAT for the BlackBerry PlayBook
• Sign this Petition to bring Netflix Support to BlackBerry
• Check out the BlackBerry-Powered Porsche 911 at MWC 2012
• RIM details the response to the Free PlayBook offer for app developers
• RIM continues the “Be Bold” Campaign with a new commercial
• Park Manor School is testing BlackBerry PlayBooks in the Classroom
• Hands-on Photo Shoot with the unreleased BlackBerry Curve 9320
• BlackBerry PlayBook tops the sales charts at Future Shop and Best Buy Canada
• Press Release: RIM details App World Carrier Billing’s rapid momentum gains

Apps &Updates…

• Sling Golf for BlackBerry PlayBook is on sale, get it for only $1.99
• Zinio Magazine Reader is hitting the PlayBook in Mid-March
• BlackBerry App World version 3.1.1.21 Now Available

Developer News…

• BlackBerry NDK 2.0 for PlayBook is now out of Beta
• Scoreloop SDK v1.0 now available for PlayBook OS 2.0

On the heels of the PlayBook OS 2.0 launch, PlayBook sales and app development are doing better than ever. RIM has just let us know about 2 awesome achievements for the PlayBook. First, the BlackBerry PlayBook was the #1 best-selling for this week. Second, the PlayBook was the top selling tablet at Future Shop this past week. These are both huge achievements for the PlayBook, especially when you consider these two retail locations. Both shops push sales of the Apple iPad and Kindle Fire, and seeing the PlayBook beat out both of these tablets says a lot for OS 2.0.

In addition to the PlayBook sales news, RIM also let us know a little more about application development for the PlayBook. About 6,225 apps have been submitted to App World for approval. A large majority of these applications come from Android developers who are porting their apps to PlayBook. Many of these apps have already been approved into App World; however, there are still over 3,000 that RIM is still working to get approved. We have also seen lots of tweets from Android developers talking about how well their PlayBook apps have been selling. They are saying that more sales are happening in days and weeks in App World than they were seeing in weeks and months on the Android Market. We’ll be sure to keep you up to date as more good PlayBook news surfaces.

RIM posted an offer in February that any developer who submitted a PlayBook app before March 3rd would get a free BlackBerry PlayBook in exchange for their submission. On the Inside BlackBerry DevBlog, RIM has updated us on the response so far. There have been some overwhelming numbers, including 6,225 submitted applications from thousands of developers. Here are a few other highlights from the update:

• 6,225 apps have been submitted
• 4,777 developers have submitted at least one app and have been sent a notification stating, “You’ve completed the first step for the offer”
• 1,827 applications have been approved and 1,283 developers have been sent an email requesting their shipping address details
• We have over 3,000 apps pending review
• To help with the reviews, we’ve added more staff to the BlackBerry App World™ storefront team.

That’s an awesome response from developers and spells great news for PlayBook owners. With more and more apps, the PlayBook becomes an even more compelling tablet for both seasoned and first-time tablet buyers. As RIM keeps courting developers, we should see App World expand each and every day.

[To view this video on your BlackBerry, Click Here]

Park Manor Public School in Waterloo has partnered up with RIM for a new program that’s centered on the BlackBerry PlayBook. The program equips each student with BlackBerry PlayBook that they can use for both educational and non-educational work. The PlayBooks are used daily in two of the 6th grade classes at Park Manor and the feedback from both teachers and students has been great.

Students love having access to the latest technology for both research and fun. Teachers love the PlayBook because it better equips the students for research and it helps “students who are reluctant learners” to better participate in class. Be sure to watch the video above for all the information. Having tablets in the classroom is the future of education and it’s great to see RIM piloting this program to make the future today.

Source : CrackBerry

This morning at Mobile World Congress, Tim Neil, Director of Application, Platform, and Tools Product Management at RIM, went over the BlackBerry Platform Roadmap. The roadmap starts all the way back with BlackBerry OS 5, where HTML 5 integration first came to the BlackBerry Platform. Development for BlackBerry OS 5, 6, and 7 all use both Java and HTML 5 as the basis for development.

With the PlayBook; however, RIM changed up the available development platforms for BlackBerry. HTML 5 is still included, but Java is now a thing of the past. The other development platforms for the PlayBook and OS 2.o include QNX Native and Adobe AIR and Flash. When BlackBerry 10 launches for both Smartphones and the PlayBook, it will allow for development with all the current developer tools and it will add in the new, TAT-designed, Cascades UI Framework that we have seen RIM demo in the past.

Read on past the break for more information on what’s coming with BlackBerry 10.

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RIM has pushed out the Scoreloop social gaming SDK v1.0 for developer use on PlayBook OS 2.0. This SDK allows developers to use the Scoreloop system, which RIM acquired last year, for things like high-scores and achievements. This SDK allows developers easy access and development for:

• Leaderboards – Allow players to compete on regional and global leaderboards
• Awards and Achievements – Keep players engaged with challenging achievements
• Player Challenges – Add competitive edge with social challenges
• Player Profiles – Personalize the experience with editable profiles
• Friend Management – Spur competition between closest rivals

This new technology is available now for developers to begin implementing into their applications. RIM worked with the developers of Kami Retro HD to implement the Scoreloop SDK into their app as a conceptual design for other developers to follow. If you’re a developer and interested in using the Scoreloop SDK in your app, hit the link below for all the details.

• Get the Scoreloop social gaming SDK 

Source : BlackBerry DevBlog

Miner Diary by MMMOOO is a PlayBook game that I hadn’t heard anyone talking about yet. I stumbled across it while searching through App World, and since it was free, decided to try it out. I was blown away by how easy the game is to play, but how hard it is to get a perfect score. The object of the game is simple, you’re the miner and your goal is to collect the most valuable gemstones and rocks within the time limit. You just tap the screen to launch the grapple hook and grab the gemstones from the mine. This is one of the funnest, free games I have tried on the PlayBook and it comes highly recommended.

• Download Miner Diary for the BlackBerry PlayBook 

[To view this video on your BlackBerry, Click Here]

How does a BlackBerry PlayBook-powered car sound? Well, after watching the video above, I think you’ll not only agree that it sounds like a good idea, but that it’s an awesome way to drive! This video shows off a Porsche 911 that RIM has loaded down with BlackBerry technology. From PlayBooks in the dash and headrests to instant NFC cell phone pairing, RIM has put all the latest and greatest technology into this vehicle. There are tons of goodies in this car and you’ll want to check out the video to see it all. While this technology is only proof of concept right now, we could see this sort of technology coming you our vehicles sometime in the near future. Let us know if you want this in your car!

Last week, Netflix told BlackBerry users that they had no plans to support our devices but that this stance could change in the future. Well, that response isin’t good enough for the BlackBerry community. There’s a new petition up on change.org today and it’s one that all BlackBerry users will want to sign. This petition will be delivered to Netflix in hopes that they may change their mind and develop a BlackBerry app sooner, rather than later. Hit thie link below to put your name on the petition and help being Netflix to your BlackBerry device.

• Sign the Petition to bring Netflix to BlackBerry  

Source : N4BB

RIM has just let us know that the BlackBerry Native Development Kit (NDK) 2.0 for the PlayBook has just left ditched its Beta status and is now an official release. Here’s what RIM has to say about the NDK and its new official status, it starts below and continues past the break.

• Download the PlayBook NDK 2.0

The BlackBerry Native SDK 2.0 for the BlackBerry PlayBook is out of beta and available for developers around the world. Updates to the Native SDK make developing C/C++ applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook simpler, with enhanced troubleshooting and a more intuitive IDE for developers.

This version includes new APIs as well as new wizards. The Device Information API allows developers to use data on battery, phone, storage and more to alert users on resources. The LED service API will allow notifications in applications. Developers can take advantage of the BlackBerry PlayBook’s stereo sound with the Soundplayer API.

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The team over at BoltCloud has just let us know that their popular PlayBook game, Sling Golf, is on sale. Sling Golf is one of my favorite mobile golf games and is available for only $1.99 for a limited time. This sale is in celebration of both the launch of PlayBook OS 2.0 and the application’s launch on iOS. The sale should be lasting through the week, so be sure and grab your copy while the price is right! You can get it in App World by clicking the link below!

• Download Sling Golf for your PlayBook 

Last year we heard RIM discuss the evolution of the PlayBook and a 4G LTE model was discussed, as well as 3G and HSPA+ models. There hasn’t been any additional discussion of a 4G model and RIM seems to be pretty happy with the current WiFi-only model. However, Mobile Syrup has gotten ahold of a document which shows a 4G LTE model may be coming this April. This document also goes on to show that BlackBerry Mobile Fusion will have a full-on launch in March 2012.

This all sounds well and good; however, I’m a little skeptical about RIM going 4G LTE on the PlayBook. Earlier this year, we saw a 2012 RIM roadmap and an LTE version of the PlayBook was no where to be found. Instead, we was what RIM is calling the PlayBook 3G+, which is slated to have HSPA+ wireless connectivity. Things are rapidly changing in the world of mobile technology, so we very well could see a 4G LTE PlayBook in early April. Only time will tell…

Source : Mobile Syrup

*Update: Netflix has responded to the BlackBerry users requests for BlackBerry Support. You can find the post with all the information HERE.*

Netflix made official last night what many BlackBerry users have feared. Netflix has “No current plans to support BlackBerry devices, incluing(sic) the PlayBook.” This Tweet by @Netflixhelps comes in response to a massive influx of Tweets from BlackBerry users asking when the PlayBook will gain Netflix support. This means that all BlackBerry Smartphone and PlayBook users will have to either watch their Netflix movies and TV shows on their computers or some other mobile device that doesn’t bear the BlackBerry name.

Many BlackBerry users have become enraged by Netflix’s response, often Tweeting or writing derogatory or hateful messages to Netflix. We ask you, our BerryFix readers, please don’t be hateful in your emails and Tweets to corporations. Hateful speech only makes our community look bad, it does nothing for our cause. Instead of a hateful response, write or Tweet kindly that you know Netflix has currently made this decision, but you would ask that they reconsider. And if you can live without your Netflix subscription, especially if you can get that content from somewhere else, cancel your subscription. Having thousands and thousands of BlackBerry users canceling at one time would send a bigger message to the company than all those hateful Tweets and Emails.

Via: The Verge

The team at Kisai Labs has put out a massive update for Blaq, the #1 Twitter app for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The update brings Blaq to v1.7 and adds some awesome new features to an already top-notch app. The new features in v1.7 include:

• Portrait Mode – Auto-correct and spell check
• LED notifications: New Tweets – White, Mentions – Blue, DMs – Green, Followers – Yellow
• TweetMarker support – Never lose your spot again! TweetMarker bookmarks your position in any client supporting it (must be enabled in Advanced Options > Services)
• Toggle Real-time streaming – This has been a HUGE request. Granted. Tap the real-time indicator to toggle.
• Favorited tweets – Swipe from the top bezel then tap the star
• Dedicated help section to make it easier to learn the ins and outs
• Saved Searches – Easily tap the star in your search field to add a new saved search. Tap a saved search then untap the star to remove it. It’s that simple!
• Tons of bug fixes

Blaq is the favorite Twitter client for PlayBook of all those here at TheBerryFix.com and it’s definitely worth the $1.99 price tag. The app is available in App World and the $1.99 will get you all the awesome updates that the Kisai Labs team has planned for Blaq in the future. Tap the link below on your PlayBook to grab the update.

• Download Blaq for BlackBerry PlayBook in App World

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Clewley, Senior Product Manager at RIM, over Video Chat on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Since I did the interview over PlayBook Video Chat, that’s one of the first things I’ll discuss. The Video Chat app on PlayBook OS 2.0 is second-to-none in terms of quality and features. Michael pointed out that Video Chat was one of RIM’s main focal points for the release of OS 2.0 and that auto-detection of Video Chat contacts in your address book is one of the biggest new features in this release.

There were three other areas that Michael stated RIM’s focus was on for PlayBook OS 2.0: the Messages App and its Social Integration, BlackBerry Bridge, and the PlayBook Web Browser. First, the Messages App. RIM worked very hard to develop the messages app and make it fit well with social. The integration of Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn messages is a huge feature of OS 2.0.

Then there’s BlackBerry Bridge. Michael stated that Bridge was a huge focus in OS 2.0. He highlighted the BlackBerry Remote feature which allows you to use your BlackBerry Smartphone as a keyboard and mouse for the PlayBook. Also, in terms of Bridge functionality, Michael discussed Open On, a feature that lets you open Emails, Webpages, etc. on the PlayBook from your BlackBerry SmartPhone.

Follow me past the break to hear more about PlayBook OS 2.0 and the future of the BlackBerry PlayBook.

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