Developing apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Research In Motion (RIM) recently announced the BlackBerry PlayBook, a tablet device that supports Flash Player 10.1 and HTML5 for browser graphics and animation. The PlayBook is equipped with a 7-inch multitouch screen; a 1GHz dual-core CPU; 1GB of RAM; and 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. The device also sports two HD cameras (front- and rear-facing) along with high-quality speakers and a mini-HDMI port.

Of course, I love the look and feel (and speed) of the PlayBook. However, as director of Developer Relations at RIM, I am really excited about the PlayBook’s operating system and its ability to seamlessly and simultaneously run applications developed in different development environments without any impact on the end user.

In this article, I explain the capabilities of the BlackBerry Tablet OS, which powers the BlackBerry PlayBook, and provide a few tips on how to develop apps for the PlayBook using Adobe Flash Platform technologies.

Inside the BlackBerry Tablet OS
The new BlackBerry Tablet operating system installed on the BlackBerry PlayBook is optimized to take advantage of all the horsepower. We decided early in the design of the PlayBook that the operating system needed to be made for the tablet market. We saw how attempts to grow an existing smartphone operating system were not meeting the expectations of tablet users. Powering the BlackBerry Tablet OS is the QNX Neutrino real-time operating system (RTOS), which is a unique microkernel architecture that allows us to take advantage of all the hardware on the PlayBook to create an experience unrivaled in the market. QNX Neutrino RTOS is used in a wide range of mission-critical hardware, including cars, unmanned aircraft, MRI scanners, and nuclear reactors.

Development approaches
From a developer’s perspective, one of the most compelling features of the BlackBerry Tablet OS is its ability to seamlessly and simultaneously run applications developed in different development environments without any impact on the end user. This capability enables developers to leverage their existing skills and tools in any one of several popular development approaches. The BlackBerry Tablet OS will support four different approaches for application development:

    Adobe AIR
    HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS using BlackBerry WebWorks
    Native C/C++
    Java

The BlackBerry PlayBook is unique in that it offers a flexible development environment that allows developers to focus on creating a great experience for their users in the tools they know rather than being forced to learn new tools, languages, and skills to build their applications. On top of standalone application development, the device also supports both HTML5 and Flash Player 10.1 in the browser for an uncompromised web experience for both developers and users.

Exploring Adobe AIR support on BlackBerry PlayBook
We worked very closely with Adobe to ensure that the BlackBerry PlayBook is optimized to give you the best possible experience for both Flash and AIR applications. There are many innovations in our implementation of Adobe AIR that provide additional functionality to take advantage of PlayBook’s unique hardware and feature set:

    Hardware-accelerated playback of video and graphics-intensive content, both in the browser and within AIR applications, enable a smooth, high-fidelity viewing experience on the BlackBerry PlayBook in full 1080p HD.
    Web View enables AIR applications to display HTML and Flash content by leveraging the BlackBerry PlayBook’s WebKit browser for rich hybrid applications.
    Application notifications allow you to bring the user’s attention to events generated by AIR applications immediately, even if the application is running in the background.
    Seamless communication between AIR applications on the BlackBerry PlayBook enables you to create Super App experiences.
    Extending Adobe AIR applications to use native C++ extensions provides you with the ability to write part of your application in the BlackBerry Tablet OS's native code (after we release the BlackBerry Tablet OS Native SDK).

To build an AIR application for the BlackBerry PlayBook, you can choose from three development approaches:

    Adobe AIR mobile with ActionScript 3.0 extensions
    Adobe Flash Builder 4.0 as well as Flash Builder "Burrito"
    Adobe Flash Professional

Adobe AIR mobile with ActionScript 3.0 extensions
If you already have an Adobe AIR application using the mobile profile, the majority of your code will work on the BlackBerry Tablet OS today. We created our own ActionScript extensions to provide user-interface components, support for gestures, multitouch, and multimedia. We have also created extensions for BlackBerry Services like the Payment Service, which allows you to sell digital goods within your application. A variety of vendors have ported their existing applications or assets to the BlackBerry Tablet OS in as little as a couple of hours using this approach. This is likely to be the fastest approach to bring your existing Flash and AIR applications to the platform.

Today you can download the Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. A BlackBerry Tablet simulator is also available for download as a VMware virtual machine. The SDK includes both a plug-in for Adobe Flash Builder 4.0.1 and command-line tools.

The plug-in for Flash Builder gives developers a fully integrated development environment. Using the plug-in, you can package applications, deploy them to the simulator, and launch an interactive debugging session. When you are ready to distribute your application through App World, you can sign applications from inside Flash Builder.

The command-line tools enable you to write your ActionScript code in the development environment of your choice. You can use the Tablet OS SDK tools to package, sign, and deploy your application to the simulator or a device. To compile your ActionScript code and debug an application, you can use the command-line tools included with the Adobe AIR 2.5 SDK.

Flash Builder "Burrito"
In December, we released an updated version of our beta BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR that supports the Flash Builder “Burrito” beta. With the new tooling, we now support cross-platform user-interface components offered as part of the Flex mobile platform. Perhaps more importantly, you can take advantage of the built-in drag-and-drop user-interface builder to create visually rich applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook, right out of the box.

Flash Professional
For developers and designers who prefer to use Flash Professional, we are working on a plug-in to allow you to create applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Stay tuned to our developer blog for more information on timing and availability. In the meantime, you can package projects from Flash Professional using command-line tools provided with the SDK.

Adobe Flash Player 10.1
For existing Flash developers, the great news is that your web-based content and applications should work flawlessly in the browser on the BlackBerry PlayBook at launch. An updated version of the PlayBook simulator, to be released soon, will allow Flash developers to test their applications in the browser. For Flash developers who want to package their existing Flash assets as a standalone application, you can use the packaging, signing, and deployment tools discussed earlier to create your own AIR application, and begin to monetize your implementation through BlackBerry App World.

Getting started resources
One of the highlights of publicizing the BlackBerry PlayBook and the accompanying BlackBerry Tablet OS has been the opportunity to work more closely with the great developers in Adobe’s community. I’m constantly amazed by what application developers are already building on this platform. We would be delighted to work with you to bring your new or existing applications to the PlayBook, and we have an incredible incentive to help encourage you. At Adobe MAX, Mike Lazaridis announced a very exciting offer: If you submit your application to BlackBerry App World before February 1 and have it accepted for sale, RIM will ship you a free BlackBerry PlayBook. You can find out more details on the free PlayBook offer at www.blackberry.com/developers/blackberryplaybookoffer.

Adobe and RIM have a variety of resources to help both new and experienced developers get started building applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook using Adobe AIR:

    Deploying a Flex Application to the BlackBerry PlayBook (and Android Devices) by AdobeTechnical Evangelist Christophe Coenraets.

New RIM BlackBerry 10 OS

Thorsten Heins, the new CEO of Canadian smartphone maker Research In Motion (RIM), has announced that the company is now ready to challenge rival operating systems with its BlackBerry 10 OS at the RIM DevCon Europe.

The developer conference held in Amsterdam is a first for RIM and the biggest so far, with more than 2,000 participants clustering to The Netherlands for the BlackBerry- and PlayBook-centered convention.

Heins, who replaced Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie in January, jump-started the two-day event with an upbeat keynote speech with his first public appearance as the new CEO of RIM.

“We are ready to compete, make no mistake,” he said. “Upgrades to PlayBook 2.0 and our vision for BlackBerry 10 reflect our commitment to get it right.”

“I wanted to show really my commitment and RIM’s commitment to our developer community because without you the Blackberry solution wouldn’t be complete,” added Heins, assuring that the company is making important long-term choices to fasten its success in the smartphone and tablet market. “Developers are critical to our long term success.”

Heins also said that developers would receive over 25,000 PlayBooks as part of the company’s ramped up effort to support the community, and upcoming events such as ‘hackathons’ will see another set of tablet giveaways.

Without spilling the beans on a target date, he said that devices with BlackBerry 10 OS are set to arrive “later this year”, with applications ranging for home, cars and smartphones; however, PlayBook OS 2.0 has yet to tip up this month.

BlackBerry handsets topped rival smartphones in the Netherlands, Spain (pre-paid), UK (pre-paid), South Africa, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, claimed Heins.

“I’m thrilled to have been passed the reins by becoming the CEO of RIM. I’m absolutely convinced that RIM has an exciting future,” said Heins to conclude his keynote speech.

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 in February 17

When Research in Motion released the BlackBerry Playbook, the company was criticized for coming up with a tablet that does not have what the company has been known for – native email client. Not only that, the PlayBook was also released without PIM (personal information management) applications such as a contacts list and a calendar.

RIM countered by explaining that the email and PIM functionality is not ready yet with the QNX-based operating system of the BlackBerry PlayBook in a way that it will be as secure as in the case of its smartphones. The company however promised that an update to rectify all this will be launched in the future and instead advised the users of the tablet to make use of BlackBerry Bridge, an application that connects the tablet to a BlackBerry smartphone where its email, calendar and contacts are blasted out n the PlayBook.

Fast forward to today.

A reliable source has whispered that the much-awaited launch of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 will happen on February 17 and will bring to the tablet a native email client along with the contacts list and a calendar – much-needed stuff that were missing when the tablet was first released. Additionally, BlackBerry Bridge will also get enhancements, according to the source.

While waiting some more for BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 to finally be released, let us go over the specs sheet of the once (and until now?) ill-fated BlackBerry PlayBook from Research in Motion.

The BlackBerry PlayBook was announced by RIM as early as September 2010 but it waited until April of last year to finally let the tablet hit the shelves. The tablet is a solid black slab of plastic that measures 194 x 130 x 10 mm and weighs in at 425 grams. On occasion, the BlackBerry PlayBook was mistaken for the Kindle Fire because of the seeming resemblance between the two.

Despite getting a lukewarm reception, the BlackBerry PlayBook actually is a powerhouse on the inside. A Texas Instruments OMAP4430 chipset makes the tablet a speed freak and capable of true multitasking with its dual-core 1GHz ARM Cortex-A9 processor and 1GB of RAM makes the tablet a speed freak and capable of true multitasking. The tablet is available in three versions in terms of storage capacity and these are 16GB, 32GB and 64GB.

In terms of its display, the BlackBerry PlayBook makes use of a 7.0-inch LCD display with     a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and powered by 3D graphics acceleration, thanks to the PowerVR SGX540 GPU of the tablet. Camera-wise, the tablet also comes with a dual-shooter configuration like mst tablets today and these are a 5MP autofocus shooter at its back panel and a 3MP front-facing camera. Both shooters of the BlackBerry PlayBook are capable of 1080p video capture at 30 frames per second.

When you come to think of it, the BlackBerry PlayBook is actually at par with other high-end tablets from the competition. It is only a bit disadvantaged by its once-flawed operating system with missing components but the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 ought to change all that. Though that may be a story for a different time, we really are interested in what effect will the OS update have on the sales and popularity of the tablet.

BlackBerry PlayBook 3G in 2013

Research In Motion (RIM), the manufacturers of BlackBerry range of smartphones, is planning to bring a 3G version of its PlayBook tablet by 2013.

Apart from being a fully cellular network capable device sans the calling function, BlackBerry PlayBook 3 G will feature a dual core 1.5 GHz processor and a faster graphic processor. As compared to PlayBook there will be no change in the features though. RIM will keep the same 7 inch display with a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution in the PlayBook 3G as well.

Following the launch, the new PlayBook 3G is expected to be available in only 1 variant featuring 32 GB of onboard storage facility.

Along with the PlayBook 3G, RIM is also planning to announce the launch of a new lineup BlackBerry Curve smartphones including the Curve 9220 and the Curve 9320. Besides the upcoming BlackBerry OS 7.1, both these handsets will have NFC and WiFi media server sharing features along with all native functionalities of BlackBerry.

Also, the upgraded BlackBerry OS 7.1 which was announced during the Consumer Electronics Show CES-2012:-RIM-announces-BlackBerry-7.1-OS-update full" target=" blank" 2012 and will soon be released for various compatible handsets across various regions in the world.

BlackBerry PlayBook Smartphones for 2012

Research in Motion is expected to refresh its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet later this year, and now a leaked slideshow of RIM's 2012 tablet and smartphone roadmap has surfaced at Boy Genius.

If the details are correct, the new PlayBook will have a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip, and built-in 42Mbps HSPA+. Like the original PlayBook, the next model will be a 7-inch tablet with a 1024 by 600 pixel display.In addition to a new PlayBook, RIM will also be introducing a new BlackBerry Curve, a new Torch, and a new Bold in the third quarter. A BlackBerry 7.1 upgrade around that time will bring a "Wireless Media Server" feature for streaming media between devices.

In addition to a new PlayBook, RIM will also be introducing a new BlackBerry Curve, a new Torch, and a new Bold in the third quarter. A BlackBerry 7.1 upgrade around that time will bring a "Wireless Media Server" feature for streaming media between devices.

Perhaps the most interesting item on the roadmap is one simply named "Device" (located on the right of the slide). This BlackBerry "Device" is most likely the highly-anticipated BlackBerry 10 purely touchscreen device codenamed "London", which is expected to drop around September.

Blackberry Playbook additional features

Nearly 10 months after its debut, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will finally get email and other important missing features in February.

But after examining a preview of the software upgrade last week, several analysts said the device's maker, Research in Motion, continues to struggle with significant technical issues, which could hinder its effort to reverse its declining fortunes.

And they said the upgrade was unlikely to significantly improve sales of the tablet computer to businesses, a target market.

RIM's continued inability to make the PlayBook work directly with its global network means that corporations looking for high-security BlackBerry email on their tablets will first need costly software upgrades to their computer systems. For consumers, it means that the popular BlackBerry Messenger instant-messaging system is still missing from the tablet.

Neither development, some analysts say, is a positive sign for the BlackBerry 10 operating system, a variation of the PlayBook's software for the coming phones that RIM hopes will restore the BlackBerry's popularity in North America.

"There are obviously some technical problems integrating this that they weren't able to solve," said Mike Abramsky, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets. "They're being very disorganized and uncommunicative about it."

Abramsky and other analysts who attended demonstrations of the software upgrade at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week complained that RIM's reluctance to provide specifics about the new software, known as PlayBook OS 2, led to widespread confusion about its capabilities, particularly for business users.

Given that RIM effectively created the wireless email market with the BlackBerry, there was considerable surprise when the PlayBook appeared last April without email software or software for synching entries from users' electronic calendars and address books.

RIM has never publicly explained the reason for that omission. But many industry and financial analysts have said the features were absent because the company could not make the device work with its unique global data network.

That network connects directly to cellphone companies' networks. It is a major reason business and government BlackBerry phones have such high email security that it has been a source of contention in nations where law enforcement and security services would like to monitor BlackBerry users' messages.

For consumers, the RIM network bypasses carriers' normal text-messaging systems, making BlackBerry Messenger messages less expensive and faster.

But RIM's network was designed so that only one hand-held device can be used with any particular user's account, creating problems for people with both a BlackBerry phone and a PlayBook.

From what RIM previewed in Las Vegas last week, it appears that most PlayBooks will rely entirely on Microsoft Exchange Active Sync, the same technology found on phones or tablets that people use on the other common mobile operating systems - Apple's iOS, Android from Google and Microsoft's Windows Phone.
 

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 3.0

One of our sources let us in on a little secret. Actually, it is a fairly ‘top’ secret. RIM has apparently already started working on PlayBook OS 3.0. This news comes before RIM has even officially released PlayBook OS 2.0. Nevertheless, it is a good sign that the company is rapidly working to enhance the tablet OS in preparation for BlackBerry 10. Details on PlayBook OS 3.0 are slim at this point, but we’ll do what we do best to get you all of the juicy details.

What could be in PlayBook OS 3.0 Perhaps PlayBook OS 3.0 will utilize TAT cascades in a more robust manner. Maybe we’ll finally see the release of BBM, since it will be absent in the release of OS 2.0. Or, we could see PlayBook OS 3.0 be the true evolution into BlackBerry 10, which will then unite both phone and tablet. Whatever the case may be, keep it locked to N4BB.