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App World Wednesday: 4 Radical Retro Arcade Games for your BlackBerry Device

Donny Halliwell — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:30:13 +0000

Earlier I blogged about Gamer Nostalgia on BlackBerry Devices, which was a roundup of some old school, nostalgia-inspiring games for BlackBerry smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. After reading a few reader comments it occurred to me that beyond the games we played on ancient consoles in our parents’ basements, we also filled our pockets with quarters and travelled to a quintessential geek hangout to play our favorite games – the video arcade.

As an arcade fan, I had to highlight some of the incredible arcade games now available for BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets in the BlackBerry App World storefront.

Gauntlet (IN) by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V.: In this game, players must select one of four mythical characters – Thor the Warrior, Merlin the Wizard, Thyra the Valkyrie and Questor the Elf – and use their player’s unique strengths to reign supreme. As a youngster, my parents saw this game as a way to teach me about the merits of individuality. While I didn’t exactly grow up wielding a sword like Thor, I like to think my childhood top scores in this game speak for themselves.

Pac-Man – FREE Trial by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V.: The 8-year-old arcade fan boy in me is overjoyed to know that the graphics in this arcade classic haven’t deviated from the original Pac-Man. The grownup in me enjoys the game’s modern-day features like Bluetooth multi-player connectivity. For hardcore Pac-Man players, try the Championship Edition.

Space Invaders Evolution by Electronic Arts Nederland B.V.: One of the most memorable and arcade games is now available on your BlackBerry smartphone! Get ready for your intergalactic mission to eliminate the source of the space invaders, the Mothership. Are you ready to save the world?

Galaga by Namco Networks America, Inc.: One of the longest-running arcade games in history, Galaga back and ready for your BlackBerry smartphone. Get ready to defend against alien fire and escape their collision-course formation attacks when you relive one of the greatest arcade classics.

For even more arcade games, check out BlackBerry App World!

Do you have an all-time favorite arcade game? Can you play it on your BlackBerry device? Let us know in the comment section below.

Gamer Nostalgia on BlackBerry Devices

Donny Halliwell — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 14:39:39 +0000

Nostalgia is, quite simply, a bittersweet yearning for things, persons, or situations of past. What inspires your nostalgia? Is it watching reruns of your favorite TV show or an old movie? Is it looking through old photo albums? Maybe it’s finding your first BlackBerry ® smartphone, still tucked away in a drawer after all these years. For everyone, nostalgia is a little different. For this self-proclaimed geek, it’s video games!

Here are a few of my favorite BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet games that tend to inspire a little bit of nostalgia:

Air Hockey by Caner Altinbasak: This game may remind you of plugging in the table and chasing flying pucks around the basement or the arcade. This BlackBerry PlayBook tablet version of the classic game gives you fluid gameplay and a realistic feel with cool graphics and sound. You can even challenge your friends to a game with the paid version, Air Hockey Gold ($0.99).

Smart Blocks by TechSoft Ventures: What do you say to yourself when faced with more luggage than trunk space? “I was a master at block-stacking puzzle games. I’ve got this.” Smart Blocks will remind you of some of these favorites from your youth and relive some of those good old times on your BlackBerry smartphone.

The Bard’s Tale by inXile Entertainment: Whether you played the original (circa 1985) or not, this amazing role-playing game on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is a tough one to put down. Singing and laughter paired with a huge environment to explore made me glad I downloaded this app. Plus, the teen rating on The Bard’s Tale means that you can let your older kids play it as well.

Look and Listen by XIMAD INC.: We called this game ‘Simon Says’ or ‘Copy Cat’ back when the buttons actually clicked when you pushed them down. The instructions were simple: Remember the colors and the sequence they appeared. Easy enough, right? Give this relative of the popular game a try on your BlackBerry smartphone today!

Super Crossfire by Union: You might remember a little arcade game called Space Invaders that took over the gaming world back in 1978. Now you can relive your youth and blast alien invaders away on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with Super Crossfire.

These are only a few of my favorite games, but I want to hear from some hardcore old school gamers in the comments below. Which of your nostalgia-inspiring favorite games would you put in a Top 10 list?

App World Wednesday: 5 Spooktacular Apps For Halloween

Donny Halliwell — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:09:25 +0000

By hanna_horwarth (Own work) [CC], via Flickr Creative Commons
(http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanna_horwarth/266812701/sizes/z/in/photostream/)

If you’ve been reading the blogs lately, you may have guessed I’m a gamer, and you know I love playing games on my BlackBerry ® smartphone or BlackBerry ® PlayBook ™ tablet. When it comes to gaming this Halloween, there are no tricks — only treats. From zombies to snipers to the evil Draky, here are a few of my favorite spooktacular games from the BlackBerry App World™ storefront:

Bomberman vs Zombies by Contlex Labs LLP: Be brave and save Planet Earth from Zombie invasion with the help of Bomberman on your BlackBerry smartphone. Use his 5 lives wisely to navigate the earth space, or tap into the app’s bonus features to earn extra lives.

Bloody Sniper by Auto Labs: You know those times when you’re walking home late at night and suddenly find yourself in a cemetery being attached by monsters, zombies and skeletons? That’s exactly what happens to our hero in Bloody Sniper. Help Bloody Sniper defeat this band of evil creatures and survive the night with this BlackBerry smartphone app!

Draky and the Twilight Castle LITE! by Joyco Games: For those with a Dracula fascination, or want to flex their skills at sparing a couple innocent children from a lifetime in Draky’s evil castle, download this app free for BlackBerry smartphones.

CandyMare by NoisyNinja: Flex your skills by navigating through a puzzle of monsters and ghosts on your way to the candy factory. With 60 levels of “candy adventures” and the ability to track achievements, this BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app will keep you entertained until the ghouls and goblins are gone.

Night of the Living Dead Defense by Marmalade: If you’re a fan of the cult-classic horror movie Night of the Living Dead, this HD game for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is an excellent pick. Get ready to shoot zombies and save humanity with a host of gameplay features, including multi-screen levels, visible monster paths, and 12 unique upgradable gunners as your backup. The only thing left to do is stay alive!

Plants vs. Zombies for BlackBerry PlayBook by Electronic Arts Inc.: My Halloween wouldn’t be complete without Plants vs. Zombies for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Ge ready to knock off a mob of zombies with peashooters, wall-nuts, cherry bombs and more before they reach your front door.

These are only a few of my favorite Halloween-inspired gaming apps for BlackBerry devices. How do you plan to stay safe from zombies and vampires more this Halloween? Shout out your favorites in the comments!

Music creation and exploration on the BlackBerry PlayBook: Interview with MorphWiz-Play creator Jordan Rudess [VIDEO]

Donny Halliwell — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:15:28 +0000

What do you get when you mix a multi-touch tablet, professional keyboard equipment, and the mind of a keyboarding wizard? The answer: MorphWiz-Play, the music creation and exploration app that is the first of its kind, letting you see, hear and touch your music. I had the chance to sit down and chat with Dream Theater keyboardist and founder of Wizdom Music, Jordan Rudess, to ask about the inspiration for the app and the experience of bringing his product to the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet.

[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]

If you love making music, be sure to swing by the BlackBerry App World™ storefront to check out the award-winning MorphWiz-Play application. I’ve been using the app for about a month now, and my favorite synthesizer patch by far is called “Rush Analogue” – check it out!

Have you been using MorphWiz-Play? Be sure to let us know what your favorite patch is in the comments.

Top 3 BlackBerry Accessories for Summer Travel

Donny Halliwell — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:55:27 +0000

Picture this: You’re at the airport, all of the outlets are taken and your smartphone battery is about to die. Or, you’re sitting at the beach relaxing and you get a few important emails, but the sunlight’s glare makes it impossible to read them. Or, you’re relaxing in a lounge chair at your hotel and realize you forgot your headphones.

Well, #TeamBlackBerry, if you have been in any of these situations, we have you covered. After speaking with a few of my friends and colleagues, here are my top BlackBerry® accessory recommendations for summer travel:

Extra Batteries
When you’re out and about at an airport, an amusement park or a beach, the last thing you need is a drained battery – especially when you aren’t close to an electrical outlet. Something I like to have at the ready is an extra battery or two when I know I’ll be away from a power outlet for the majority of the day. You can find extra batteries and external chargers for your BlackBerry® 7 OS devices (and others as well) on Shop BlackBerry, so be sure to grab a few before you head out this summer.

Anti-Glare Film
As summer heats up, many of us spend more time outside. Since BlackBerry people are doers, we know how important it is to be able to stay on top of incoming messages and keep in touch with the important people in our lives. To protect your screen against the sun’s glare and make sure you’ll still be able to see everything on your screen, check out this anti-glare film you can easily apply to your screen. Plus, your device’s touch screen will still be fully functional, so you’ll have the best of both worlds.

Premium Stereo Headset
If you’re looking for headphones that can multitask as much as you can, we have the a great option for you. Our Premium Stereo Headset not only gives you quality audio and sound isolation so you can hear your music clearly, but it also includes a microphone so you can hop on the phone and chat, too. What’s even cooler is it has a single button to easily navigate between calls and music – perfect for when you’re lounging on the beach and want to keep things simple. While you’re at it, be sure to give BBM™ Music a whirl and make a few summer playlists!

These accessories are our favorites, but we want to hear from you: what is your favorite BlackBerry accessory that you never leave home without?

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.1 Update Now Available

Michael C. — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:00:04 +0000

A new version of the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS – v2.0.1.358 – is now available to all users. This free update can be downloaded over-the-air from your BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet.

The BlackBerry PlayBook OS v2.0.1.358 contains many updates including:

Browser enhancements to address performance with some websites
Improvements to support Android apps
Optimizations to Video Chat, PIM and BlackBerry Bridge applications
And much more!

How to update your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

Users will automatically receive a software update notification on the BlackBerry® PlayBook tablet status ribbon, or they can check for the software update at any time by going to the settings menu under “Software Updates” and tapping “Check for Updates”. Users who purchase and activate a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on or after April, 17 2012 will automatically be updated to v2.0.1 as part of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet setup process.

How BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 revolutionizes Email, Calendar and Contacts – again: Part 2 of 2

Michael C. — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:30:30 +0000

The name BlackBerry® is synonymous with mobile email, and thanks to the expertise of RIM® family members – Tungle for Calendar and Gist for Contacts – we’ve extended our messaging DNA in some really compelling ways with the introduction of BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet OS 2.0. Because the new Email, Calendar, and Contacts applications all include people-centric information, we’ve integrated social functionality into all three . For example, you don’t have to leave the calendar to get information about the attendees for that meeting. Let’s dive in and take a look at these new features.

Calendar with social integration

Like the new Messages app that includes a universal Inbox, so you can conveniently manage all your email in one place, the new Calendar app in PlayBook OS 2.0 allows you to manage all your appointments and events in one place – including the ability to manage both work and personal (Gmail®, Hotmail®, Yahoo!®) appointments and Facebook® events (never miss a birthday again!). Of course, the Calendar app offers the common features that you’ve come to know and love, but it now also includes some compelling new features to help you organize your day:

People View: In addition to the traditional Day, Agenda, Week, Month views, you can now view your day based on the people you’re meeting with. This view provides additional information on your contacts pulled from LinkedIn®, including where you’ve met in the past.

Visual Cues: You’ll be able to more quickly scan and manage your calendar at a glance. For example, the Calendar app provides visual cues that identify days that have more appointments than those that are relatively light. For example, when you view your calendar at a glance, dates with many appointments will show up in a larger font while the dates in smaller fonts have fewer appointments. If you have a lot of appointment conflicts, a red highlight identifies the conflict so you can’t miss them!

Zoom in to a detailed view: From the “Week” view, you can go directly to a day’s calendar with ease. Simply tap any day to zoom into the details of that day, including the meetings you have scheduled and the people you will be meeting with.

Contacts: Your social hub

Your contacts are more than just an address and phone number, so why treat it like a rolodex? The new Contacts app acts as a social hub that helps you maintain a complete and current view of your contact’s social status.

Contact Linking: The majority of people use more than email and phone to stay in touch with their personal and professional contacts — Facebook, Twitter®, and LinkedIn are growing exponentially in their popularity and usability. The Contacts app allows you to automatically bring all these distinct social profiles into a single people-centric view in your address book – meaning you can set up one contact name and integrate all of their contact and social profile information into one profile. You also have the option to reduce duplicate entries, and manually link or de-couple your contacts from social profiles. Watch this demo to learn more.

Status Updates and People Views: Using information gathered from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, the Contacts app lets you see your contact’s recent social status updates and common friends.

Meetings, Places, and News: Be prepared before walking into that meeting. For each of your contacts, you can view past (and future) meetings with that person, see the places you’ve met previously, and read news about their company.

Favorites and Video Chat: Mark your top contacts as a “favorite” for quicker access, and sort your address book by those contacts who also use BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat.

Explore tablet hardware
Using the tablet interface
BlackBerry Bridge
Personalization

Docs To Go
Print To Go
Calendar
Contacts

Video Player
Messages
Video Chat
Browsing the web

We built the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0 email, calendar and contacts experience with the goal of providing the best tools for managing your busy life across all of your networks. I’m so proud of the team for pulling it off, and we’re just getting started! We have a ton of ideas, and look forward to getting your feedback.

How BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 revolutionizes Email, Calendar and Contacts – again: Part 1 of 2

Michael C. — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:14:56 +0000

In January at CES 2012 and at BlackBerry® DevCon Europe, you had some great opportunities to get sneak peeks at what the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet OS 2.0 has to offer. We heard loud and clear that you wanted native email, calendar and contacts, and we’ve delivered something that we’re all very proud of. With BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0, features like your email, calendar and contacts have unique social integration that is people-centric rather than app-centric.
The approach to these experiences is simple: If you think about how you interact with email, calendar, and contacts on a daily basis, you’re basically in two modes: triage (taking stock of what’s happening in your world) and acting.

Email and the Universal Inbox

The new Messages apps gives a nod to the past by continuing to build on proven experiences. The iconic BlackBerry splat noting the arrival of new messages in the universal inbox remains part of the core messaging experience. But the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 messaging experience goes a step further; it has been extended to include ‘social messaging’, allowing you to directly integrate messages from some of the most common social networks: Facebook®, LinkedIn®, and Twitter®.

And to take it one step beyond just integrated social messaging, you can now see a contact’s social details right from the Messages application.

Once you have an inbox full of messages, the new Messages app delivers a suite of features that help make managing your inbox really easy:

Tabbed email: You can reference one email while you compose another, or put an email you’re in the middle of composing on hold, while you type out a quick response to another message.

Rich text editing: You can write and edit email like you would on a computer – including support for fonts, attributes and sizes, as well as formatting. You can even edit or insert your “in-line” comments in an email thread.

Message Threading and Quick response: Let’s face it – in an era of ubiquitous mobile devices, email is more chat-like than formal. You can choose to view your messages as threaded conversations rather than single messages. Thread messages reduce a conversation to one inbox entry, thus reducing the signal-to-noise ratio in your inbox.

BlackBerry Keyboard: Longtime users know the keyboard input on BlackBerry smartphones is clever, including auto-entry of periods at the end of sentences and “@” symbols for email addresses. The new PlayBook OS 2.0 keyboard also introduces next word prediction, which helps makes hammering out emails on a virtual keyboard so much easier.

Search: Sometimes you’re not exactly sure what you’re looking for. The search feature allows you to type out a partial string and constrain the search to specific recipient fields or subject, sent, received, and filter by when it was received (today, yesterday, even last week) – all in real time.

As you can see, there are some very cool things in the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet messaging experience. Hold tight for my next post on the Calendar and Contacts experience!

Explore tablet hardware
Using the tablet interface
BlackBerry Bridge
Personalization

Docs To Go
Print To Go
Calendar
Contacts

Video Player
Messages
Video Chat
Browsing the web

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Reviews from CES

Carolyn H. — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:04:40 +0000

Greetings, Team BlackBerry! We’re eager to talk about BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 after revealing a sneak peek at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas – but before we get back to unveiling the features, have a look at these early reviews for BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0!

@BlackBerry Just watched a video about the BlackBerry phone/PlayBook remote! So excited! Awesome CES show this year.—
brandon (@brandonMDCXVIII) January 11, 2012

Just watched the CES demo of the @Blackberry #Playbook OS 2 and it's looking wicked. Good work guys, Looks like it might be worth the wait!—
Mike Johnston (@cmscritic) January 10, 2012

Cannot wait for @BlackBerry #playbook OS2.0! Use my bb as a keyboard and trackpad AND as a remote control for media!! 2012 is gonna #bebold!—
Tony W (@tony22s) January 10, 2012

New @BlackBerry OS on PlayBook looks great. Fills most of the obvious gaps and makes the tablet very compelling.—
Andy Bovingdon (@MrBov) January 10, 2012

SO excited for @BlackBerry #Playbook OS 2! Remote control with my @BlackBerry Torch, email and calendar w great features, and loads of apps!—
Derek Gruchy (@ProfGruchy) January 10, 2012

just read a promising review from #ces on @BlackBerry #Playbook OS2.0 on my playbook. Interested tl see how the notifications works out—
Jamie Fletcher (@jamiefletchertv) January 11, 2012

Really impressed with what I've seen so far from @Blackberry's new PlayBook OS. Can't wait to use it. Really innovative stuff there!—
M van Hylckama Vlieg (@TheMarco) January 12, 2012

@BlackBerry awesome playbook demo @CES going home to buy myself one!!—
Stephanie Labus (@stephanielabus) January 12, 2012

@Blackberry Very excited about preview from #CES; I've been using build 6149 on my #Blackberry #Playbook can't wait for the release of 2.0!—
Jack Morrison (@Jackmoe) January 12, 2012

Thank you to everyone who test drove BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 at CES and shared their tablet reviews with us. We could only choose some reviews to share here, but we continue to read them all! Stay tuned for the official release. In the meantime, tell us which BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 feature you can’t wait to explore.

Explore more BlackBerry PlayBook review from tech authorities across the web.

BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 Brings Updates to Docs to Go and a Brand New App: Print To Go

Luke Reimer — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:54:06 +0000

BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 will bring significant enhancements to the Documents To Go® suite, as well as the addition of a brand new application: Print To Go. The Docs To Go office suite has a history of being a staple for working while on the go, allowing you to create, edit, and share Microsoft® Office documents. Print To Go makes it quick and easy to transfer in electronic format, any content that you could print from your PC to the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, instead of printing a hardcopy. Together these solutions offer you a productive and familiar way to work with files and reference important data.

For those that are unfamiliar with Docs To Go, it is a powerful mobile office suite that allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel®, and PowerPoint® files and attachments on BlackBerry® smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. You also have the ability to present PowerPoint documents from your BlackBerry PlayBook by plugging into a projector or TV via an HDMI connection. While in presenter mode, speaking notes are visible on your PlayBook, while your presentation itself is visible from the projector or TV. Updates to BlackBerry® Bridge™ in PlayBook OS 2.0 further enhance this feature by allowing you to control “back” and “next” functionality using your BlackBerry smartphone.