(YouTube link for mobile viewing)

Great news, Facebook® users! Facebook for BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet v2.0 has launched today along with Facebook for BlackBerry® smartphones v2.0. Both apps will appear in the BlackBerry App World™ storefront over the next 24 hours. To mark this event, I met up with Douglas to chat about the new features we’re introducing in Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet v2.0, including:

• Facebook Places
• Facebook Event viewing
• Ability to view ‘Likes’
• Privacy control on status updates

Check out our video above and keep reading to learn about these features in a little more detail.

Facebook Places

Facebook Places allows you to share where you are, what you’re doing, and who you’re with. With your permission, Facebook Places uses location-based technology on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to tell you about Places nearby. When you check in to a Place, you can tag a friend and include a comment. If your friends have activated this feature, you can also see where they’re are checking into. Additionally, you can learn about Places nearby by checking out a Place’s page to see who has been there that you know and any comments they’ve left.

You can also view the location of a Facebook Place on a map to see exactly where it is and check out the surrounding area, and even get directions by clicking on the map image, which will seamlessly launch Bing Maps.

Facebook Event Viewing

Facebook Events allows you to stay up on all of your social plans. With this feature, you can view upcoming events and birthdays, and receive notifications of new invitations that have been generated through the Facebook platform. Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet v2.0 also allows you to view event details like time, place, guest list and RSVP or write on the event Wall, if those features have been enabled by the event organizer.

View ‘Likes’

With Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet v2.0, you can now see the names of friends that liked your post and tap those names to launch their profiles.

Privacy control on status updates

Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet v2.0 allows you to control who can see each update you share on the fly. Simply click the lock icon in the lower-right corner of the status publisher to select who you want to make the status update visible to before posting it.

As I mentioned before, you can head on over to BlackBerry App World to download Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet v2.0 (keep in mind it may take up to 24 hours for the new version to appear for some users). Don’t forget to come back to the Inside BlackBerry Blog afterwards to tell us what you think of the new features, and if you haven’t already, make sure to Like our Official BlackBerry Facebook Page.

If you’re like me, you must find yourself checking the BlackBerry App World™ storefront on your BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet everyday to see what’s new, what’s popular, and what’s featured. I recently tweeted that I was going to write a post for the Inside BlackBerry blog on what your favorite BlackBerry PlayBook tablet apps are…and the responses were both awesome and overwhelming! Based on the feedback, I now present the Top 5 BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Apps – as chosen by #TeamBlackBerry.

#1 Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

The Facebook® for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app was the most mentioned app and a personal favorite of mine. It also received a nice update recently, so read more about that here: Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Update Now Available. With BlackBerry Tablet OS v1.0.5, we’re also preloading Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook on all BlackBerry PlayBook tablets now. Current BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users who update to v1.0.5 will automatically receive the updated Facebook app. Alternatively, you can grab the update to the app from BlackBerry App World, of course!

#2 Poynt for BlackBerry PlayBook

Need a recommendation for dinner? Want to buy movie tickets for a date night? Well, the awesome Super App – Poynt for BlackBerry PlayBook – is there for you. #TeamBlackBerry ranked this the #2 BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app – and for good reason. Beyond the awesome BlackBerry PlayBook tablet version features, it also integrates with Poynt on your BlackBerry smartphone – allowing you send a restaurant’s address and phone number directly to your contact list. Watch this video to learn more:

[YouTube link for easy mobile viewing]

#3 Doodle Blast

#TeamBlackBerry gamers love a challenge, and nothing quite delivers like the addictive Doodle Blast from FlexibleAIR. You have to use your doodle drawing skills to get all the marbles into the cup – without running out of ink (not as easy as it sounds! – Ed.). I’ve spent many a conference call playing this game. Uh, I mean intently paying attention.

#4 Need for Speed™ Undercover

One app that really kicked off excitement for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet apps is the Need for Speed Undercover for BlackBerry PlayBook. Personally I love Electronic Art’s TETRIS® for BlackBerry PlayBook more – but I’m biased towards puzzle games.

#5 GeeReader

I wasn’t surprised by the fact that GeeReader is another #TeamBlackBerry favorite – I believe this is one of the best RSS readers out there, especially with its awesome Google Reader integrations. You just sign in with your Google account and boom – all your favorite feeds appear in one easy-to-read view. If you like GeeReader, you might want to also check out the recently released BlackBerry® News for BlackBerry PlayBook app.

Here’s your next assignment, #TeamBlackBerry: It’s June and that means vacation time for many. What are your top 5 apps for travelling? Post a comment here and tweet @BlackBerry with your favorites and you’ll see a new Top 5 post soon!

(YouTube link for mobile viewing)

Hot on the heels of Monday’s Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook app announcement, I decided to catch up with our friend, fellow blogger and BlackBerry App World™ Project Manager, Alex Kinsella to show us the ins and outs of the new app. If you’ve got your BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet in hand, the app is available for download from BlackBerry App World right now!

Let us know what you think and feel free to post a comment if you have questions you’d like us to ask Alex! Don’t forget to check Monday’s post for more information:

New Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet App

Update: Check out our video demo of Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with BlackBerry App World Product Manager Alex Kinsella, live from BlackBerry World 2011, after the jump!

Attention BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet owners and Facebook® users! It’s my pleasure to show you the Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app, which offers the most popular features and functionality of Facebook in a tablet-optimized experience.

The Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet app will be showcased at the BlackBerry World™ 2011 conference and will become available for download from BlackBerry App World™ this week.

Let’s take a brief look at some of the key features of Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.

(YouTube link for mobile viewing)

Facebook Chat

• Facebook Chat takes advantage of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet’s high-resolution screen by splitting the application into two separate panels for side-by-side viewing of your online contacts and active conversations.
• From within the Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet application, you’ll always be up to date on active chats. Notifications of new Chat messages will appear in the Incoming Chat popover located on the Nav Bar, so you can quickly and easily access new Chat messages as you receive them from anywhere in the app.

News Feed

• The News Feed feature helps you to stay notified on all your friends status updates and photos. Clicking on a status update with a web link seamlessly opens the BlackBerry PlayBook browser for you to view the content.
• You can also discuss and show appreciation for your friend’s content through the comment and “Like” features within the News Feed or on their profile pages.
• Of course, you can also publish your own status update or upload a photo from within the status publisher that’s accessible from the News Feed or your profile page.

Photo Uploading

• Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet allows for easy photo uploading and viewing. In addition to uploading photos from the Picture Library, you can tag friends, and view and post your comments and Likes.

Facebook Messages

• Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet allows you to compose, send and receive new Facebook messages. You can view your sent messages in the Outbox tab and messages from Pages you’re a fan of from within the Updates tab.

Friends List

• In Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, you can view your Friends List in two ways: a grid view (default) or a list view. From the list view there is an alphabetical scrollbar so you can find your friends quickly. You can also Search and add new Friends and Pages and view pending Friend Requests from within the Friends List. Who doesn’t want more friends?

Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet also offers an array of other familiar Facebook features we didn’t cover above, like Search and Notifications, to help you stay connected with friends and share your news while you’re on the go. Stay tuned for future releases of Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, as the Facebook team here at RIM is already charging ahead to bring you an even richer Facebook experience, utilizing the deeply integrated Super Apps characteristics that BlackBerry smartphone users know and love. Post a comment and let us know what you think about Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and what you’d like to see added in future versions!