To explore it a bit more through a brief demo, I caught up with BlackBerry 10 expert Michael Clewley for an interview:

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

There’s also a new BlackBerry App World for work as part of the BlackBerry ® Balance ™ technology in BlackBerry 10, which makes it easy for organizations to deploy and recommend apps for their employees. More on that feature with Luke over at the Inside BlackBerry for Business Blog.

Excited to get using the new BlackBerry App World? Let us know in the comments.

*Music and video store access may by limited in some regions.

For this video, we used the latest developer hardware prototype model, the BlackBerry Dev Alpha B, to demonstrate concepts we’re working on for BlackBerry 10. This device is not representative of final hardware.

Today I thought I would change things up a bit by answering some commonly-asked BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet questions I’ve come across while browsing the web, as well as questions from my friends and family. After we’re done, don’t forget to leave your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet questions in the comments section below so we can continue providing answers for you!

1. Can I use other apps or games while downloading, updating or installing apps in the BlackBerry App World™ storefront?

Yes! Multitasking is central to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet experience. While in BlackBerry App World – or any app or game, for that matter – simply swipe up from the bottom bezel to minimize the app, and then choose the app or game you want to use while waiting for the download or instillation to complete.

If you would like some help getting started with BlackBerry App World on a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, check out my two-part series I published a little while back called BlackBerry PlayBook 101: Getting Started with BlackBerry App World Part 1 and Part 2.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

Last week I had a chance to experience the joy one feels while un-boxing a new gadget or electronic device. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the notion of “un-boxing,” it’s a term used by those gadget lovers in your life when they get a new device and are removing it from factory packaging.

My un-boxing last week was a new BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 smartphone for my wife, and while going through the setup, I thought it would be a good idea to share my BlackBerry® smartphone and BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet post-power up steps with you. So if you are about to get a BlackBerry device or have just received one, then this is the Five Tip Friday for you.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

BlackBerry® ID is a single sign-on identity service that gives customers convenient access to multiple BlackBerry® products, services and applications. With BlackBerry ID, there’s only one login and password to remember.

If you use BlackBerry App World™, you are most likely familiar with BlackBerry ID. BlackBerry® Protect™ and BlackBerry® News – both of which can be found in BlackBerry Beta Zone – also use BlackBerry ID, so today I’d like to take a moment and go over some questions I’ve seen people ask about BlackBerry ID since it is starting to appear in more applications and services.

Read more at the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog »

As of April 8, when you attempt to access the BlackBerry App World client on your BlackBerry smartphone, you will receive the following message: “You must upgrade your client in order to continue”.

You can upgrade to BlackBerry App World 2.1 using the following methods:

• Clicking “Download Now” when prompted to upgrade from the BlackBerry App World client
• Visiting the Download BlackBerry App World page to update via desktop or mobile browser

For information on how to upgrade, please visit the BlackBerry Technical Solution Center to read the following article: KB26170 – How to upgrade BlackBerry App World 1.1 to the latest version.

Upgraded users will find a variety of performance improvements and feature enhancements in BlackBerry App World 2.1, including:

• BlackBerry® ID account syncing
• Carrier billing (dependent upon user region and carrier), credit card, PayPal® payment support
• Improved navigation with Top 25 lists and enhanced application carousel
• App barcode scanning support
• In-app payment support

Check out these additional posts to learn more about specific BlackBerry App World 2.1 features. Don’t forget to also post a comment and let us know what you think!

BlackBerry ID and you!
Inside BlackBerry App World 2.0 (app preview)
BlackBerry App World: Everything you wanted to know and weren’t afraid to ask (Part Three)
BlackBerry App World: Using In-App Payments

We recently introduced in-app purchasing with BlackBerry® Payment Service 1.0, which allows developers to create apps that offer their customers the ability to make purchases through the app using the same BlackBerry® ID and payment method used to buy apps in BlackBerry App World™ storefront. Today I wanted to show you what you may see when you use an app with the in-app purchase ability, as well as showcase the levels of authentication and security.

Below is an example of a purchase made through the Hockey Scores app. The app is free on BlackBerry App World and is supported by small advertisements. If you’d rather not be distracted by advertising, you have the option to purchase the service of removing advertising on the app by paying $0.99.

If you’re not logged into the payment function with your BlackBerry ID, you’ll be prompted to sign in – the same as in BlackBerry App World. If you are already logged in, you won’t be prompted to log in again (you’re logged in for 20 minutes at a time before you’re prompted again) – but the “Confirm Purchase” screen will still appear so you see the full price and tax before the purchase happens.

As with any system that has purchase capabilities, you’ll always want to keep your eyes on it. BlackBerry Protect, which is available now in open beta, can help you always know where your BlackBerry smartphone is – read more the BlackBerry Protect webpage!

We’re into the first month of BlackBerry App World™ 2.0, and the feedback we’ve received has been really helpful as we to continue to work on making the BlackBerry App World experience better and better. One of the most talked about new features in BlackBerry App World 2.0 is the new BlackBerry® ID account.

Back in the BlackBerry App World 2 preview post, I went over the benefits of BlackBerry ID. But as a quick refresher, with BlackBerry ID you have one account that helps you keep track of all your downloads (free and paid) and lets you easily switch between devices. For example, logging in with your BlackBerry ID will automatically bring all the apps that you’ve downloaded through BlackBerry App World to your new BlackBerry smartphone.

I recently came across the following two Knowledge Base articles and wanted to share them with you. These cover the details on how to create a BlackBerry ID and how to reset your password if you forget it:

KB24062 – How to create a BlackBerry ID for use with BlackBerry App World 2.0
KB24127 – How to reset a BlackBerry ID password

The fine folks over in our Customer Service (CSO) Communications team put these articles together, and they have an amazing library of Knowledge Base articles and support tips over at BlackBerry Support. (Be sure to keep up with them at their new blog, the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog!) You can also check out the BlackBerry Community Forums and MyBlackBerry for other great tips and tricks for getting the most out of your BlackBerry smartphone!