BlackBerry PlayBook is Here!!!

It's been seven months of anticipation and finally launch day is here. The BlackBerry PlayBook launches today! This is of course the first installation of a BlackBerry tablet device and yes their first venture outside of a smartphone. So how will the PlayBook match up against the plethora of competitors out there, especially the current King of tablets the Ipad (based on sales figures)? Well only one true way to find out. Get out and grab one.

The PlayBook starts at $499 for the 16GB version and goes up to $699 for the 64GB version. We've been tracking reports and have heard the 64GB versions are harder to find than Steve Jobs in a BlackBerry store. Maybe they were scooped up on pre-order. Whatever the cause I know I can't wait to get my hands on one of these things...so time to stop writing and get to buying.

Sound off in the comments if you've gotten, or are planning to get a PlayBook or just tell us what you think about the BlackBerry move into the tablet market.

Video Leak!: Hands on BlackBerry 9860 codename: Monaco/ Monza

Leaked pictures, software and data sheets have been popping up all week. Here we have a video hands on of the rumored BlackBerry 9860 showing up, with some speed and a great looking GUI. With this video leak we also get a peak into how BlackBerry OS 6.1 will look and it looks good! Another point of note is the size of this device. When compared in thickness it looks super small beside the Torch 9800, and by the looks of it would rack up pretty close to the thickness of the 8900. This one looks like its gonna be a hot device, were hoping to see it launched along with a few other devices at BlackBerry World in May. Check out the video and let me know your thoughts.

Source: BBNews

BlackBerry PlayBook Demo!! (the stuff you want to see)

Training events are launching all over the US for the BlackBerry PlayBook. We got our hands on a video from an event in LA and whats cool about this demo, is that it shows pretty much what we want to see. So far most of the video demo's showed specific applications and functionality,and for the most part the multitasking capabilities/ power of the device. This video shows us some of the basics and more of everything we can expect from the PlayBook. Docs2Go, Media Player, Browsing, and personalisation options are all explored.
Point to note is that this is still a demo device, and does show some choppiness in areas, we of course expect all that to be resolved at launch. Below are a few highlights of the PlayBook as posted by the presenter in the video via CrackBerry

• No sign of video chat yet, but reps did mention it will definitely be included in the BBM on the PlayBook though there was no mention of it being there at launch.
• PIN's are going to be phased out within the next year or so and replaced with BBID - this is to push cross platform apps, messaging, and ease of use
• Presentation mode was demoed. It works by splitting the media output stream into two outputs that are independent of each other; meaning you can watch a video or load a presentation on your HDMI OUT and still browse/play/chat/message on the PB screen. Orientation, volume, brightness, etc are all independent features controlled by a Presentation Mode switch function that allows you to swap screen, toggle screens, and control the options on each screen. 
• Battery Life still unconfirmed but it was reiterated that we have a 5300mAh
• The OS constantly updates battery performance
• OS Updates are going to use a push-type system to be installed almost instantly on your device
• Doc2Go will be Premium for Free!
• The screen is very durable and hard to scratch
• Orientation Lock Feature was present on this build
• .MKV Videos will be supported via native OS soon after launch, but not initially at launch
• Flash games on the web were not supported with keyboard controls. This wasn't programmed into the OS but may be in the future.
• Power button will be fully programmable with options on what it does, kinda like your computer i.e. Sleep, Hibernate, Shut Down, Lock
• BlackBerry Bridge has not been finalized but I have verified that carrier data will not be transferred during bridging. No Texts or call logs folks. This was due to controlling security on the devices, since RIM is transferring over only their data from their end of the game, it's easier to control.
• The UI for the Bridge stuff was very polished, all updated, refined graphics and functions with even more options for stuff like adding events and such.

BB Tips and Tricks: Sharing Videos from your BlackBerry

Source: Inside BlackBerry

Have you ever captured something awesome on the video camera of your BlackBerry® smartphone and wanted to share it with others? If you haven’t had the opportunity to capture a video on your BlackBerry smartphone, let’s go through the steps now, so that you can try out the sharing options.