We told you that the Dingleberry jailbreak would start getting interesting once developers started extending the platform beyond what you can do without a jailbreak. RIM has been teasing us with possible USB host functionality on the BlackBerry PlayBook since it launched. They have been slow on delivering features like that though we know they are coming.
Until then Josep @MiBlackBerry let us know that elTecnoBlog has posted up a video showing USB host working on his Dingleberry jailbroken BlackBerry PlayBook. It is promising though I hope they come up with a cable instead of that little micro-USB to USB dongle.
BarracudaBob ( View Profile) - Posts: 1020
Posted: December 13, 2011 at 10:27 AM EST
Isn’t this something that’s going to be baked in to OS2?
Marc Paradise ( View Profile) - Posts: 539
Posted: December 13, 2011 at 2:16 PM EST
Yep. They’ve just found a way to enable functionality that’s already there, just not finalized and turned on.
BBA Brian ( View Profile) - Posts: 1218
Posted: December 13, 2011 at 11:06 AM EST
So this allows us to access info stored on a USB device such as a USB key?
cool!
Diego Nei, MBA ( View Profile) - Posts: 266
Posted: December 13, 2011 at 11:38 AM EST from my BlackBerry PlayBook | OS 1.0.0
I hope this is on OS2. My question is, what about the other way around? Can my TV for example read my PB via USB?
BarracudaBob ( View Profile) - Posts: 1020
Posted: December 13, 2011 at 12:57 PM EST
That’s an excellent question, but I’m not sure why it would be useful. You can just hook up the HDMI cable and display right to the TV.
kingbernie06511 Not Registered
Posted: December 13, 2011 at 4:28 PM EST
this is a HUGE deal. Its a massive differentiator with iOS and Android as far as I know.
So they have USB drivers for mass storage from what I see (airport; slow wifi). Impressive. RIM is basically taking a mobile OS and adding ‘desktop’ layers like USB functionnality. The more drivers they write, the better it will be.
wow. First time Im really impressed by RIM in a long time. (last time was PB introduction a year ago i think).
Ben Not Registered
Posted: February 23, 2012 at 8:53 PM EST
Adding desktop features to a mobile OS? Hardly.
QNX has had USB host support since long before RIM bought it. Pretty sure there was even support for this particular hardware already. Just been waiting for it to be integrated with the Playbook UI, mainly the control panel applet for configuring it.
Eladio Not Registered
Posted: December 18, 2011 at 6:09 PM EST
Excellent !! is it hard to do for a beginner ? Jailbreak ?
And were do we get the micro USB to female USB ?
Thanks
Great news!!!