For years, I was under the impression you could only install fonts with the assistance of an app. I recently found out that is not at all accurate. You simply need the a font in TrueType (.ttf) format. In this guide, for illustration purposes, I will be using the free (open source)  ’Ubuntu-R’ font.

*WARNING: As we are editing/adding hidden system folders of the device, I can make no guarantee this won’t leave your device completely FUBAR. So please, only do this at your own discretion. I’ve only confirmed it working on OS 7 & 7.1 but it SHOULD work for all OS’ back to at least os5. Again I haven’t been able to test on many phones but I haven’t had a single problem either. If you are successful (or unsuccessful) with this method, leave a comment and let us know if it is working for you.*

One time setup

1. Download a file manager you can handle zip files with(rock file manager, filescout etc.)
2. Change options in your chosen file manager to show hidden files & folders
3. Navigate to ‘/Device Memory/appdata/rim/’*
4. Create a folder called ‘fonts’ inside of ‘/rim’

You should now have a created this directory ‘/Device Memory/appdata/rim/fonts/’*

*Note: Depending on the file manager, the directory ‘/Device Memory/’ may be called ‘/store/’.  In that case, the location of the fonts folder would be ‘/store/appdata/rim/fonts/’

How to install a font

1. Find a font in TrueType format [.ttf] you’d like to use. In this example, I’m using the free ‘Ubuntu-R.ttf’
2. A) Download the ‘Ubuntu-R.ttf’ file (this specific font is in a zip folder) | B) Unzip if necessary
3. Rename ‘Ubuntu-R.ttf’ to ‘Ubuntu-R.font’
4. Cut/Copy  ‘Ubuntu-R.font’ to ‘/Device Memory/appdata/rim/fonts/’

You should now have the (renamed) font located inside of the folder ‘/Device Memory/appdata/rim/fonts/’  aka ‘/store/appdata/rim/fonts/’

5. A quick reboot and the fonts should be available in your screen display settings.

*Note: The first time I did this, I had a font app installed & device encryption enabled and the fonts weren’t available after a reboot. If your having problems try turning off encryption before pasting the font or uninstalling your font app*

The font used for this tutorial is available for free here

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• FontCollection App from Almoko Gives Your Berry More Fonts
• FAQ: Easily Add Hebrew Fonts To Your BlackBerry Tour OTA
• Font Collection Updated – Install Your Own Fonts!!
• FAQ: Easily Add Hebrew Fonts To Your BlackBerry OTA & Using Your Desktop
• Font Master Offers 18 Free Fonts With 60 More for $0.99

Posted by nah.uhh for ©BerryReview, January 30, 2012, 5:51 pm. | How to add fonts to your BlackBerry smartphone (without an app) | 5 comments |

This little trick has been around for awhile now but I don’t think we have ever mentioned it on BerryReview. RIM has hidden a little popup in App World that lets you search for an app, game, or theme by using its product ID. You can find an apps product ID easily since it is the number at the end of the URL for each app in App World. For example, the App ID for Facebook for BlackBerry is 680 which you can easily see in the URL for it in App World.

To easily search by an ID in App World you simply hold down the ALT key while pressing the letters STST. That will popup the dialog you see above where you can enter in the ID. This is useful for multiple things like finding apps that are not compatible with your device or apps that have not cleared all the App World cache due to just being released.

Let us know if the shortcut works for you and what you use it for!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• FAQ: How to Remove Uninstalled Apps from App World My World Screen
• Handster Pushes 50+ Android Apps into BlackBerry App World
• BlackBerry App World Now Has 4982 Apps & 1448 Themes
• BlackBerry App World Hits 7,000+ Apps
• RIM Releases BlackBerry Quick Search Powered By Google For No Reason…

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, November 8, 2011, 11:01 am. | Quick Tip: Search for Apps in App World Using Their Product ID | 3 comments |

This has been floating around for at least a week now in the official RIM forums but now RIM has spelled out. Some users have wanted to downgrade from the PlayBook OS 2.0 beta back to the official v1.0.7. RIM has been kind enough to detail the steps in a blog post on the BlackBerry Help blog. The main thing you need to know is that it can take 24 hours waiting to get back to the previous version.

Check out the full instructions here or below. Personally I am very curious to know why users are downgrading. Is it because of BlackBerry Bridge?

Provided 24 hours have passed since signing up and installing the Developer Beta OS, complete the following steps using BlackBerry® Desktop Software to return to the current non-beta release (v1.0.7) of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS.

Tip: BlackBerry Desktop Software is available for PC and Mac users, and the latest version can be downloaded from the BlackBerry Desktop Software website.

Restoring the BlackBerry PlayBook OS to v1.0.7 will erase everything on the tablet, so make sure that you back up any important documents and files before proceeding. Important: If you backup your PlayBook while it is running the Developer Beta OS, you’ll be unable to restore this backup file to your PlayBook once you’ve loaded OS v1.0.7. This is in reference to running a general back up using the BlackBerry Desktop Manager. What you can back up safely are specific documents, photos, or other files – and then reload them once you’ve restored OS v1.0.7. There are several methods to accomplish this; consider using USB File Sharing, or Wi-Fi® File Sharing to backup important documents, photos, or other files before proceeding with the steps below.

Requirements:

• BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with at least 20% battery life
• BlackBerry Desktop Software and a USB cable
• Active Internet connection

Instructions:

1. Turn off the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet
2. Using a PC or Mac, open BlackBerry Desktop Software
3. Using the USB cable, connect the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to your computer:
   • If prompted, enter your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet password
4. A dialog will appear stating BlackBerry Desktop Software cannot connect to your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. When this appears, click “Update”.

   

   • Note, this dialog will disappear when the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet boots up completely. If this occurs, disconnect the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and repeat the previous steps to get the dialog to appear again.
5. Enter your email address or uncheck “Yes, email me when updates are available”.
6. Depending on which version of BlackBerry Desktop Software you are using select one of the following options:
   • BlackBerry Desktop Software for PC, click “Install”.
   • BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac, click “Repair”.

After clicking one of the above options, your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet should have the current non-beta release of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS installed (v1.0.7). After the OS is restored to v1.0.7, you’ll be presented with the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet Setup Wizard, which will allow you to setup the tablet again. While setting up your tablet again, you can check out the BlackBerry PlayBook category of the Inside BlackBerry Help Blog to learn more about your tablet.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Devs: BlackBerry PlayBook NDK Beta Coming to Beta Zone Soon?
• RIM Rolling Out PlayBook Native SDK Beta 0.9.4 to Developers in Beta Zone
• Developers Register your PlayBook For OS 2.0 Beta Access
• Desktop Manager 6.0 In Limited Beta In The BB Beta Zone
• BlackBerry Desktop Manager for Mac v2.1 Now Available with PlayBook Support

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, November 3, 2011, 9:53 am. | RIM Offers Downgrade Steps from PlayBook OS 2.0 Beta to v1.0.7 | 14 comments |

I still remember when RIM was handing out BlackBerry PlayBook’s at BlackBerry World many of them were setup by users to share files over Wi-Fi with no passwords. While some users may be smart enough to set a device password on their PlayBook it may not be necessary for all users. On the other hand Wi-Fi sharing passwords should be turned on for 99% of use cases. If you turn on Wi-Fi sharing on your BlackBerry PlayBook to share files over Wi-Fi and don’t setup a password then anybody on the same Wi-Fi network can access your PlayBooks media files including pictures, documents, videos, etc. Not good…

RIM was kind enough to put together a simple graphical tutorial on how to setup a BlackBerry PlayBook devices password and Wi-Fi sharing password. If you need help setting one up after reading their guide on it let us know in the comments.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• RIM Explains the BlackBerry PlayBook File System Layout
• RIM Explains BlackBerry PlayBook Work & Personal Info Security
• FAQ: Transfer Files to the BlackBerry PlayBook Over Wi-Fi or USB
• More BlackBerry PlayBook OS Details Confirmed in Leaked Guides
• My File Manager, A New All in One File Manager for the PlayBook

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, October 13, 2011, 1:55 pm. | RIM Explains how to Secure Your BlackBerry PlayBook & Wi-Fi Sharing | 2 comments |

I cannot count the times that I have been asked for a chart of the different BlackBerry models and the codenames associated with them. I finally got some free time on the train earlier this week and started compiling a list of the codenames I remembered off the top of my head. They should all be right but I am counting on all of you to keep me honest. There are also new unannounced models like the upcoming Curve “All Touch” Malibu (CDMA) and others that are not 100% confirmed yet but let us know in the comments if we missed any. I am also blanking on the codename for the original BlackBerry Bold 9900…

Check out the full chart below:

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• RIM to Announce Two BlackBerry Torch Models Tomorrow? Wednesday?
• BlackBerry Curve Takes Top Smartphone Spot for Q2 2009
• BlackBerry Once Again Dominates IDC Top 10
• AT&T Getting Magnum Onyx, Gemini, & Pearl 3G… Confused Yet?
• Social Rdio App Now Supports BlackBerry Torch Storm and Curve 8500

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, October 6, 2011, 5:51 pm. | BlackBerry Smartphone Models and their Codenames in One Chart (FAQ) | 7 comments |

It is now starting to roll towards the end of the 1 month trial RIM is offering with BBM Music and the Beta Zone app is starting to expire users accounts. The problem is that during the Beta Zone period it is not possible to actually upgrade to a premium account. I ran into this "expired account" a few days ago but after fiddling around it just worked again. I ended up just escaping all the menus and the app worked but AgentBlackBerry over @BBOS was kind enough to write up a simple FAQ on what to do:

If you get this error message simply dismiss all the "upgrade to premium account" windows, fully close the app by selecting "Close" in the menu and not just pressing the back or END button. Upon reopening the app you should see it refreshed, all your songs available again and a new expiration date.

Also worth noting is that every month RIM refreshes your count of changeable songs with 25 changes. You should make these changes before you do this because it will reset the count to 25. Let us know if this works for you!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• BBM Music Comes Out of Beta in US, Canada, & Australia With Free Extended 60 Day Trial
• Fixmo Extend Tethering App Comes Out of Beta
• Free Fixmo Extend Tethering App Enters Public Beta
• Rhapsody Rolls Out BlackBerry Beta with 7 Day Free Trial
• BBM Music Beta Expands in Beta Zone – v1.0.0.93 Released

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, September 26, 2011, 10:09 am. | FAQ: How to Extend your BBM Music Beta Trial Period Once it Expires | 2 comments |

We have already heard about the BIS 4.1 rollout a few times unofficially and now we have the official specs from RIM thanks to their knowledge base. Nothing really new to see here its just nice to see it confirmed since the launch dates are rumored for Asia Pacific on Sept 10th, Europe on Sept 23rd, and North America on October 11th. RIM also points out that a change in how BIS is setup for BlackBerry OS 7 devices requires you to perform a different process when you sell or give you device to another person.

It used to be if you changed SIM cards then you BIS email would stop being delivered. As of OS 7.0 you now need to wipe the device for that to happen or else another person will continue getting your email since the BlackBerry ID is assigned to the device not the SIM card. Check out the details here.

Here is the official specs for BIS 4.1 from RIM:

New Features of BlackBerry Internet Service 4.1

The BlackBerry Internet Service (BIS) is designed to provide BlackBerry smartphone users with access to email messaging, instant messaging, Internet browsing, and more. BlackBerry Internet Service subscribers can receive automatic delivery of email messages from up to ten email accounts on their BlackBerry smartphones.
The following is a list of new features being introduced with BlackBerry Internet Service 4.1:
Improved large email and native attachment support

Subscribers using BlackBerry smartphones with BlackBerry® 7 installed can:

• receive email messages that are up to 11MB in size
• download attachments in their original format that are up to 8MB in size
• view up to 300KB in an HTML email message

No interruption to email flow on SIM swap

Subscribers who insert a new SIM card in to their BlackBerry smartphone, including SIM cards from a different wireless service provider, no longer experience email flow interruptions. The BlackBerry Internet Service only stops sending email to a smartphone when the subscriber deletes all data from the smartphone, not when a new SIM card is inserted in to the smartphone.

Due to this change, before selling a smartphone, subscribers must delete all data from the smartphone (security wipe) to protect personal information, including email messages and synchronized contacts and calendar events. For more information on performing a security wipe, please see KB28225.

Note: This functionality will be available when BlackBerry Internet Service 4.1 is released in all regions.

Inbox priming for new account integrations

When a subscriber adds an email address to a smartphone, the inbox on the subscriber’s smartphone is pre-populated with up to 20 existing email messages from the email account.

Additional language support

Latvian and Lithuanian are supported by the BlackBerry Internet Service. Emails received in these languages can now be viewed on BlackBerry smartphones.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• RIM Releases Official BIS 2.8 Documentation With Features – Same Story…
• RIM Confirms BIS 3.0 Features Making No Mention of 2 Way Gmail Synchronization!!!
• Outage May Be Over? RIM Sending Out Mail In Batches?
• BIS 4.1 Update Goes Live in Europe – Adds BlackBerry 7 Functionality
• BIS Upgrade 2.5 Happening June 28th-29th

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, September 12, 2011, 5:03 am. | RIM Makes BIS 4.1 Features Official – New Process for Selling Old BlackBerrys | 14 comments |

For years now Smartmouth has been making it easy for BlackBerry users to add Hebrew fonts and keyboard to their BlackBerrys. Previously you had to reload the OS with multilingual OS that included Hebrew. Smartmouth simply extracts the language files and makes them available for OTA downloads from your device. He let me know that he has now made the Hebrew files available for BlackBerry 7 devices. I have tested it on my Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9930 and it works like a charm. He also has downloads available for other OS versions and devices.

Check it out at: cheservices.com/blackberry/

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• FAQ: Easily Add Hebrew Fonts To Your BlackBerry OTA & Using Your Desktop
• FAQ: Easily Add Hebrew Fonts To Your BlackBerry Tour OTA
• Easily Add Hebrew Fonts & Typing To Your BlackBerry Torch 9800
• Hebrew In Hand – Free Hebrew Texts On Your BlackBerry
• Hebrew In Hand 2.0 Public Beta Release Available

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 26, 2011, 3:55 pm. | FAQ: Easily Get Hebrew on your BlackBerry 7 Device (Other Devices Too!) | 11 comments |

I always enjoy bringing out the fun and unexpected, so here is another. Have you or someone you know ever wanted to manage more than one exchange account from their Blackberry? Activating your Blackberry on more than one BES is generally not common knowledge or practice, although your blackberry is definitely capable of being used on multiple BES servers and functions extremely well doing so.  When you think about the way one can currently use BIS and BES together it does make sense, to be able to do this, as BIS (Blackberry Internet Service) is for most intent and purpose, just another type of Blackberry Server.

The reason this first crossed my path, was a client’s Admin assistant had a blackberry and she was asking if there was a way to provision this device to use two corporate email accounts. For myself, having just recently completed a BES 3.5 training session, I was eager to try.  Much to the counter of the information available from RIM, as well as from the provider I worked for at the time, this functioned beautifully and we’ve been using this method in client sites, upon request, ever since. (Yes, I did say BES 3.5 as I’ve been a specialist with Blackberry products, for a long time…. :)  LOL).

Anyways, on to the fun stuff, of how to do this!

What you will need:

- 2 BES servers (Personally I have one BES and one BES Express, but really it can be any combination)

- 1 Blackberry Handheld (mentioned in case this is not obvious…….)

- Either BES console access or Blackberry Desktop Manager access on a machine with the second MAPI/RPC mail profile available as a seperate profile.

The First step is to activate your device on the first BES, if you do not already have an active BES on it.  You can do this through any of the usual methods of course. (Desktop, Console or Wireless)

The Next step is actually quite easy. Once your second account is prepared on the second BES you can activate it.  Personally I use the wired method to attach my Blackberry to the second server, as I can re-title the account with the desktop manager (shown below) providing easy distinction of the accounts that I am using for sending emails, creating appointmens in the calendar and such.  I has also done this with the BES console, via the assign device menu, but then you have to use other methods to distinguish the accounts in the drop-down menu’s.

The key for this type of desktop activation for the second email account, is having access to it with outlook, either via MAPI or RPC.

 From the Desktop Manager click on “Device Options”

From the Enterprise Email Tab, press the drop down menu,  next to Email system and choose the Secondary Profile.

From here change the Service Name for easy identification and escape and save.

Last but not least, once the above is complete, unplug your Blackberry from the desktop machine, wait a few moments for the computer to register the disconnect and then plug your Blackberry back into the computer. Your Blackberry should now start the activation process.  If for some reason you receive the prompt to wipe your device, cancel out of that and let it continue.

You should now be able to select a “send using“ from either one of your BES acounts, as well specifying which calendar to add an appointment to or invite from.  I hope you enjoy the added functionality and usability this brings and thank you for reading.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Tips & Tricks: Removing A SIM Card Easily From Your BlackBerry
• Tips and Tricks: Optimizing your BlackBerry for best browsing experience.
• Tips & Tricks: BlackBerry Enterprise Activation on a BIS Data Plan
• Tips & Tricks: How to Modify/Change the Yahoo! Email Icon on the BlackBerry Bold
• Tips & Tricks: A Workaround For Cropping Pictures on Your BlackBerry

Posted by baltee for ©BerryReview, August 22, 2011, 3:50 pm. | Tips & Tricks: Using 1 BlackBerry on 2 BES Servers…. | 2 comments |

With the onslaught of new devices and device changes, there’s sometimes a need to activate your device on a Blackberry Enterprise Server Express.  With new devices, BES IT policies, software upgrades, difficulties explaining to users how to download from appworld, software compatibility issues occur (as a good friend of mine recently mentioned in his article) and one looks like a star when they have an alternate method to do this.  The point of this article is one such method.

On many carriers, when your Blackberry Device is on a BIS plan, the Enterprise Activation menu item is removed as an available feature. This is generally done by the change or  removal to the service books on the device with it’s interaction with the carrier’s network.

Now for the fun stuff!

In order to get a BIS data plan Blackberry activated on a BES Express, when the menu item does not show on the device one needs to delete the device’s service books, reboot and activate.   I enjoy creating these Step-by-Step’s, so I’ve written this article accordingly.

 Step 1: From the main screen of your device scroll up and select the connections bar, or scroll down in your icons to connections.

Step 2: Turn off your wireless by removing the check marks from Mobile Network and Wi-Fi.

Step 3: Escape to the main screen and type Service Books, or depending on the OS version, scroll down and click on Options.

Step 4: In options (or Options and Advanced), select the Service Book icon/menu list.

Step 5: Inside Service Books, highlight each one and either press the delete key, or as listed in the next screen shot, click the menu key and select delete. This needs to be done for each service book, with the exception of the Provisioning, which will not delete. When you see the above, select delete. Once completed, please reboot the blackberry.

Step 6: Once the blackberry is completed, go to the options menu for Enterprise Activation. Either use the search to find it, or options, advanced and enterprise activation, depending on your OS version.

Step 7: Once you have the Enterprise Activation selection, click on it.

Step 8: Inside Enterprise Activation, enter in your email address and password and click activate

(Side Step)  If this is a new to you device and you see the above message, please select yes, so that it can clear the device and start a fresh activation. If the device revives from reboot and the Enterprise activation option is no longer listed, please start the process again at Step 1.

Step 9: When you receive a prompt to enable the radio, please do so and be patient for the process to complete.

Hopefully this was straight forward and will help, thank you for reading.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• RIM Releases Enterprise Activation App for BIS Plan Users!
• Tips & Tricks: Using 1 BlackBerry on 2 BES Servers….
• FAQ: How To Activate Your BlackBerry on a BES Without Wireless Enterprise Activation
• Tips and Tricks: Optimizing your BlackBerry for best browsing experience.
• Tips and Tricks For Storm Users

Posted by baltee for ©BerryReview, August 18, 2011, 11:53 am. | Tips & Tricks: BlackBerry Enterprise Activation on a BIS Data Plan | 18 comments |

We told you earlier this week that the BlackBerry 7 browser now allows you to add custom search engines and change the default search engine. What we couldn’t tell you back then is that this lets you bypass the Verizon and other carriers default setting of Bing as the default browser search option and set to to whatever you want like Google or even BerryReview. This is surprisingly easy in BlackBerry OS 7. All you need to do is follow these steps:

1. Open the web browser
2. Hit the menu button and select options
3. Click on Manage Search Engines
4. Hit the menu button and select New
5. Enter in the name (Google) and for the address copy and paste one of the following:
1. To search Google Mobile Search use: http://www.google.com/m/search?q=%s
2. To search BerryReview articles use: http://www.berryreview.com/index.php?s=%s
3. To search BerryReview Forum posts use: http://www.berryreview.com/forums/search.php?q=%s
   NOTE: The way this works is you simply copy the URL from a search you would normally use and notice where the URL has your search term.
6. You can then click on any of the available search engines to change your default search provider!

Let us know how it works for you!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Verizon Makes Bing Default Search Provider on BlackBerrys
• BlackBerry OS 7 Allows Custom Browser Search Engines – BerryReview Search!
• T-Mobile No Longer Using Yahoo as Default Search
• Verizon Pushing Microsoft Bing on BlackBerry Homepage
• Opera Mini Default Search Engine Will Now Be Google

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, August 17, 2011, 8:54 am. | Change Default Search to Bing in BlackBerry 7 Browser on Verizon & Other Carriers | 2 comments |

Luis asked me a bit ago what settings I had on my BlackBerry Torch 9800 for “Touchscreen Sensitivity.” He thought his settings were messed up so I told him mine was set for Tap Interval: 400 and Hover Period: 100 while his was set for 800 and 400 respectively. I had never really messed with these settings in the past so I decided to look up what RIM had to say about it. This is how RIM describes the two options:

• Tap Interval: If you want the screen to respond faster when you tap it, change the Tap Interval field to a lower number.
• Hover Period: If you want the screen to respond faster when you touch and hold it, for example, when you touch and hold the screen to open a pop-up menu, change the Hover Period field to a lower number.

See I could not think of any reason why I would want my BlackBerry Torch to be less responsive or respond slower so my first attempt was to lower these settings to the lowest possible of Tap:50 and Hover:0. This caused some erratic behavior with the hover action menu so I decided to bring the Hover up to 100 and then 200. I have been using this Tap:50 and Hover:200 setting for a little over a day and I AM IMPRESSED!

My Torch suddenly feels like a whole new device when I use the touchscreen. The action menu is now totally usable because I just hold the screen for a second to get options. You may want to play with the settings yourself until you get it right but please report back in the comments with your findings or experience!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Question: Recommended BlackBerry Torch 9800 Privacy Screen?
• BlackBerry Torch 9810 Review: a solid touchscreen phone that is distinctly Blackberry
• RIM Explains What Developers Need to Know About BlackBerry 6 & the Torch 9800
• My BlackBerry Torch 9800 First Impressions
• BlackBerry Torch 9800 Wins Laptop Mag’s Readers Choice Award

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, July 1, 2011, 1:43 pm. | Best Settings for BlackBerry Torch 9800 Touchscreen Sensitivity? | 7 comments |

One of the coolest features on the BlackBerry PlayBook is the solid Flash support. Over time I have been trying many different flash games and found that about 50% of them are loads of fun on the PlayBook. Some require a keyboard for movement or right click mouse button for options but most don’t. If you are hardcore you can even play those that do require a keyboard or mouse using Bluetooth devices.

FTWrath let me know about a tutorial he wrote up about how to save Flash games locally on your PlayBook and then play them offline. Here are the steps he choose to simplify the process:

1. browse to File 2 HD
2. take the link of your Flash game. We will test this with Magic Touch. As you can see I took the full website URL where the game is played.
3. Paste that in the File2HD text input area, agree to Terms of Service, and make sure Objects is selected. Now click Get Files.
4. you might have a few SWF files returned. Select either by holding down on them and selecting “Save Link As”
5. Now choose a file name and Save.

Here’s the fun part. To play the game locally

1. Fire up the browser
2. Open a new tab and type in File:// and hit enter.
3. Browse to > Accounts > 1000 > Shared > Downloads
4. Find the swf file you just saved and select it.
5. It will open your game in the browser. Bookmark the game and add it to Homescreen.

Now you can load it whenever you want and play offline!

Kudos to FTWrath for the tutorial. Let him know what you think in the forums.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Find Free Flash Games for your PlayBook on FlashPlayBook.com
• Sideload FCEUXpb to Play Nintendo NES Games on your BlackBerry PlayBook
• Collection of Fun Flash Games for your PlayBook in FlashGames
• Canyon Defense: Fun Flash Game Works Great on Playbook
• Latest RIM BlackBerry PlayBook Video Shows Off Flash in the Browser

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, June 24, 2011, 12:04 pm. | How to Save Flash Games on Your PlayBook & Play Them Offline | 12 comments |

I have had quite a few users ask me similar questions in the last few weeks so I thought I would address it with a simple post. There is a nice and slightly hidden set of features in the Options->Wi-Fi menu that you can access if you click on the little Wi-Fi icon with the question mark at the bottom left of the Options->Wi-Fi menu pane.

Say for example you want to know what the current speed of your connection is to your access point then hit the drop down menu and select “Wi-Fi Information.” Then scroll down to connection data rate. For some reason mine always shows 24Mbps even though my laptop is reporting 130Mbps in the same location.

From that dropdown menu you can also access you Wi-Fi logs to see what is going on. You can also diagnose your PlayBook Wi-Fi internet connection by testing it out with a Ping or checking on the routing with a traceroute or DNS Lookup. I don’t understand why RIM didn’t make that option button a bit bigger but there is a load of information in here.

Let us know if you find any other tips like this!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Facebook View Status Updates No Longer Shows “is”
• Get instant WiFi Connection with HiWiFi App for your BlackBerry.
• RIM Has Its Own BlackBerry Connection Video Podcast…
• Mundu IM V4 Fixes Bugs And Adds More Connection Options
• WiFi Hero – Controls WiFi Based On Location & Status

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 17, 2011, 12:02 pm. | How to Diagnose Your PlayBook Wi-Fi Connection & View Status | 3 comments |

Most people who live outside of the US and Canada have usually experienced BlackBerry smartphone and PlayBook apps that are not available in their country. While there are a few drastic things you can do to change that on BlackBerry smartphones there is a relatively easy way to bypass this restriction on the BlackBerry PlayBook. It all involves using HTTP proxies to make RIM’s App World servers think you are in the country where the app is restricted to.

Keeper was kind enough to list out how exactly to pull this off in the forums and I highly recommend you check it out if you have a PlayBook and live outside the US. It involves using free or paid HTTP proxies and is pretty easy to setup. Let us know if it works for you!

PS: If you already pay for a VPN service to access content in the US (Hulu, Pandora, etc) you may want to try it out instead.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Breaking: Install and Purchase Apps from BlackBerry App World Website!
• More BlackBerry PlayBook Apps Showing in App World
• PlayBook Apps in App World Improving – Telnet Client and Grocery List
• New High Level Apps & Games Categories in PlayBook App World
• FAQ: How to Remove Uninstalled Apps from App World My World Screen

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, June 17, 2011, 9:58 am. | How to Install Country Restricted PlayBook Apps in App World | 5 comments |

Although the Playbook doesn’t have OTA capabilities there is another way  users can load non App World applications. This method, perfected by Keeper (Berry Review Forums), is ideal for sharing ported  applications and, in case you are a developer, allowing Playbookers to beta test your applications. Side Loading, as it’s come to be called, requires a PC and a few programs. Here is my attempt to create a tutorial for the process. Hopefully RIM simplifies this process but until then this is what we have.

First (on your PC) download and install JRE (Java Runtime Environment)

• http://www.mediafire.com/?siwn5so7n66oqi6 (Windows 32)
• http://www.mediafire.com/?4qkn7qwdho6cil9 (Windows 64)

Then download and install the  Development Mode Installer which is used to load applications on your Playbook.

• http://www.mediafire.com/?od4fft3qm2ai4sx

Once you are all set up on the Pc end you must enable Development Mode on your Blackberry Playbook.
Open your Playbook Settings (Swipe Down From Center on Home Screen)
Under Security select Development Mode and switch it to ON.
You will be prompted to enter a password . Make sure you enter something that is easy to remember.

Go back to your Home Screen. You will now see an icon of a character on your Home Screen Tool Bar.
Make sure you are connected to your Wifi and select the icon. You will see your I.P. address shown.
Write down or remember your I.P.

Now, on your PC open the DDPB Installer. Enter your I.P. and Password you chose earlier.

Side Loading is ideal for users that can not access App World  (Only available in US/Canada). Louis.Keeper has put together a healthy list of 50+ applications that will keep you busy. These are all available on App World and are intended for those who can not access App World. They are also all free.
http://www.mediafire.com/?qv7odxcxt28s7

Save the desired applications to your computer (make a new folder where you can easily access them).
In the DDPB Installer, click Add and select the Application(s). Make sure they are checked (check-box) in the DDPB Installer and click Install.

You will see this screen confirming the Applications are installing to your Playbook.
Once completed you can see them and use them on your BB Playbook.

Side Loading can also be used by Developers to share beta versions of their App World applications or rejected apps. Simply package your applications as a .Bar and find a suitable host and there you have it! Anyone with the know how can download your .Bar apps to their Playbook!

Major thanks to Keeper of the BerryReview Forums for bringing this to everyone’s attention. Check out his original thread for more support:

http://www.berryreview.com/forums/topic/playbook-apps-installer-method

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Easily Sideload Android APK Apps to PlayBook with DDPb Installer
• Crowdsourced List of Android Apps That Work on the PlayBook OS 2.0 Beta (Sideloading)
• Tutorial on how to Build a Flex PlayBook App in 90 Minutes
• RIM Puts Up More Developer Resources for BlackBerry 6
• How to Get Android Marketplace Working on the PlayBook Video Tutorial

Posted by FTWrath for ©BerryReview, June 13, 2011, 3:35 pm. | BlackBerry Playbook SideLoading Tutorial and Resources | 14 comments |

Quite a few readers sent this in as a tip so I thought it would be worth mentioning. There are thousands of websites and tools out there that help you save YouTube videos from your browser though most of them are targeted at desktops and not tablets. PlayBookRevolution decided to do something about that and released a nice script and dedicated page to help you simply copy and paste the YouTube video link to generate download links.

Simply head on over to this link and paste your video link. It should work on YouTube, Metacafe, Daily Motion, Google, and a maybe other sites. Let us know if you find any other tips. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• Nobex Radio Companion Adds YouTube Videos
• BlackBerry 8900, Bold, & Storm Comparison Videos On YouTube
• BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet It’s here! Video Commercial Hits BlackBerry Youtube Channel
• BlackBerry DevCon Asia 2011 Videos
• Vodafone Puts Storm 101 Help Videos On YouTube

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 16, 2011, 1:23 pm. | Easy Way to Save YouTube Videos From Your BlackBerry PlayBook | 7 comments |

Over the years I have noticed that my BlackBerry 9700 and then 9800 would sometimes not connect to my Wi-Fi network. This would usually happen when I walked downstairs (Poor Wi-Fi coverage) and then came back up and stood mere feet from then access point. It turns out that there may actually be a reason for this happening and a quick fix if it does.

Mel let me know that RIM has a knowledge base entry that mentions an interesting “Blacklisting” feature that is in BlackBerry OS 5 and 6. What happens is that your Wi-Fi access point may be blacklisted for 5 minutes if you run into “Poor coverage, environmental issues, or access point equipment”. It kind of makes sense since RIM wants the device to ignore a more powerful network if it is having issues and there are other less strong networks that work. To fix it all you need to do is turn off Wi-Fi and turn it back on again or simply wait 5 minutes.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• FAQ: How Do You Get Wi-Fi To Connect Faster on Your BlackBerry?
• FAQ: Understanding How BlackBerry Applications Connect to The Internet (Development)
• RIM Releases BlackBerry Quick Search Powered By Google For No Reason…
• HOT!!! Google Apps to Connect to BlackBerry Enterprise Server Free in July!!!
• RIM To Bring Back BlackBerry Connect Support For Nokia S60?

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 11, 2011, 4:25 pm. | One Reason Your BlackBerry May Not Connect to Wi-Fi Immediately | 2 comments |

Some people trying to run the latest BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat app at work may notice that it is not working do to blocked ports. For most home and personal networks this should not be a problem since you probably are not blocking outgoing ports but many companies do lock down outgoing ports which may stop your BlackBerry PlayBook from being able to Video Chat. RIM was nice enough to detail which ports you would need to forward to enable BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat in a restrictive network though I wish you the best of luck trying to get your network administrators to open them:

• 443 (TCP)
• 3478 (TCP)
• 3478 (UDP)
• 45535 to 65535 (UDP)
• NOTE: Depending on the Network Address Translation (NAT) configuration for the network, additional ports may be used for video traffic.

You can find more details at this link

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• More Details on BlackBerry Video Chat from Mike Lazaridis
• Video Chat App For the BlackBerry PlayBook Available May 3rd
• BlackBerry PlayBook Tutorials Show Off Video Chat and OS Upgrade Process
• RIM Talks BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 Details – Future of Video Chat?
• When BBM Makes it to the PlayBook Will it Have Video Chat and a New UI?

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 11, 2011, 2:10 pm. | RIM Details The Ports Needed for BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat | One comment |

I was trying to help a friend learn how to make the most of his BlackBerry PlayBook and spotted a great resource while looking. RIM has posted a whole slew of BlackBerry PlayBook how to guides for practically every feature and app on the PlayBook. It is really thourough and since it is a Flash app it even works from the PlayBook. The guides are all housed inside one help site and range from how to perform spell checking to step by step instructions for bridging to your BlackBerry.

Check out the BlackBerry PlayBook How To Demos from your desktop or PlayBook

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• More BlackBerry PlayBook OS Details Confirmed in Leaked Guides
• Two Step-By-Step Guides On How To Upgrade Your BlackBerry OS
• How To Perform a Hard Reset on the BlackBerry PlayBook
• Buzzd Adds Free Location Based App for Their City Guides
• How To Force The Latest OS Update on Your BlackBerry PlayBook using Desktop Manager

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 11, 2011, 12:26 pm. | BlackBerry PlayBook Interactive How To Guides | 3 comments |

Some of you may already know that I cannot help but poke fun at RIM legal when the chance arises. Over the years the user agreements RIM legal has forced us to accept have been getting longer and longer. Now all RIM value added apps have their own like BBM, Facebook, App World, and they usually would take multiple pages to print not to mention the fact that the font is barely legible.

To make matters worse we now have an even more interesting twist on the User Agreement when it comes to the new video chat User Agreement for the BlackBerry PlayBook. In an interesting form of (hopefully accidental) coercion RIM has confirmed that not accepting the BlackBerry PlayBook v1.0.3 OS Video Chat User Agreement causes an issue where the “battery drains faster than normal or the battery level fluctuates irregularly.” The second possible cause for such issues is that RIM has made “some changes to battery parameters” in OS 1.0.3 which can be fixed by discharging and recharging the battery a few times to “retrain” it.

Check out the full details here or below:

Overview

After upgrading the BlackBerry PlayBook Software to 1.0.3 then restarting the BlackBerry PlayBook, the battery drains faster than normal or the battery level fluctuates irregularly.

Environment

• BlackBerry PlayBook
• BlackBerry PlayBook Software 1.0.0 to 1.0.3
• PR 97674

Cause 1

In BlackBerry PlayBook Software 1.0.3, changes have been made to battery parameters.

Cause 2

The Video Chat application’s User Agreement has not been accepted.

Resolution 1

The BlackBerry PlayBook battery can be retrained by fully discharging and fully recharging the battery a few times.

Resolution 2

On the BlackBerry PlayBook, launch the Video Chat application and accept the User Agreement.

Additional Information

To fully charge the BlackBerry PlayBook, make sure the charging (lightning bolt) icon is no longer displayed in the status bar before disconnecting the power source.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• WMM Power Save Can Improve BlackBerry WiFi/UMA Battery Life? Claim Of 15-40% Longer Battery Life
• PlayBook to Have 4,000 Apps at Launch and Longer Battery Life than iPad
• Will the BlackBerry PlayBook Have a Replaceable Battery?
• RIM Explains The BlackBerry PlayBook Low and Dead Battery State
• Why NOT to Worry About the PlayBook’s Battery Life

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, May 6, 2011, 5:01 am. | BlackBerry PlayBook Battery Life Changed with OS 1.0.3? Possible Fixes | 11 comments |

Last week I confirmed with a contact at RIM that there are some reported issues for certain users trying to pair their BlackBerry PlayBook with their BlackBerry phone. RIM has confirmed this in a knowledge base article published today along with providing a pretty comprehensive resolution or workaround option that attempts to resolve a few issues. My contact told me this may be related to certain BlackBerry smartphone OS builds so you may want to also try upgrading your OS if all else fails. RIM’s publication claims the issue is only related to OS 6.0 devices so let us know if you are experiencing issues with OS 5.0 devices.

Here is how RIM describes the issue and workaround:

When attempting to pair (manually or automatically) a BlackBerry® smartphone with the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, one of the following errors is displayed:

On the BlackBerry® tablet

"Unable to connect BlackBerry® Bridge with BlackBerry smartphone. Please ensure you have BlackBerry Bridge installed on your device and turned on"

or

“Unable to pair with playbook. Try again”

or

“Failed to pair with BlackBerry model”

On the BlackBerry smartphone

“Unable to pair with PlayBook. Try again” – BlackBerry device

Environment

• BlackBerry® smartphones running BlackBerry 6 OS
• BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet
• BlackBerry® Bridge

Resolution

This is a previously reported issue that is being investigated by our development team. No resolution time frame is currently available.

Workaround

Delete the paired device on the BlackBerry smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.  Attempt to pair again using BlackBerry Bridge.

Step 1: Disconnect from BlackBerry Bridge and delete the paired device from the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet:

1. Select the Options icon from the top right corner of the main screen.
2. Select the BlackBerry Bridge item from the left side.
3. Select the Disconnect button from the bottom right side.
4. Select the Bluetooth® menu item from the left side menu from within the Options.
5. Select the Pencil button.
6. Click the Trash icon beside the paired BlackBerry smartphone.

Step 2: Delete a paired Bluetooth enable device

To perform this task, you must first disconnect your BlackBerry device from the Bluetooth enabled device.

1. On the Home screen, click the connections area at the top of the screen, or click the Manage Connections icon.
2. Click Bluetooth Connections.
3. Highlight a paired Bluetooth enabled device.
4. Press the Menu key > Delete Device.

Step 3: Uncheck all Bluetooth Message Services on the BlackBerry device

1. On the BlackBerry device home screen, Click on Options > Network and Connections > Bluetooth Connections
2. Click the Menu key and select MAP Options
3. Uncheck all Email addresses under Message Services
4. Save and exit

Step 4: Remove unused Serial Port Profiles (PlayBook uses the Data Transfer Serial Port Profile)

1. Open Bluetooth Connections from Manage Connections icon in home screen.
2. Click the Menu key and select Options
3. Uncheck unused Serial Port Profile entries except Data Transfer (Desktop Connectivity, SIM Access Profile, Wireless Bypass) 
4. Save and Exit

Step 5: Restart the BlackBery smartphone and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

1.  Perform a hard reset on the BlackBerry device, KB02141
2.  Perform a hard reset on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, by holding the Power button for 10 seconds

Step 6: Connect your tablet and smartphone using BlackBerry Bridge

To connect your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to your BlackBerry smartphone, you need to install the BlackBerry Bridge app on your smartphone.  You can download it from the BlackBerry App World storefront.

1. On your tablet home screen, on the status bar, tab Options icon and select BlackBerry Bridge
2. Tap Setup > Continue
3. In the BlackBerry Bridge app on your smartphone, tap Add Device > Next
4. Point your smartphone camera at the barcode that appears on your tablet to scan the barcode

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• More Details on BlackBerry PlayBook OS 1.0.3 – Coming Tonight
• BlackBerry Bridge IS One of the BEST PlayBook Features! Here is Why!
• BlackBerry PlayBook Supported Files When Using Bridge Mode
• BlackBerry Bridge Updated to v1.0.6.5 – PlayBook OS Update Coming Soon?
• RIM Rolling Out BlackBerry Bridge v1.0.7.4 – PlayBook OS Update Coming Soon?

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 29, 2011, 10:06 am. | Troubleshooting BlackBerry PlayBook Bridge Issues – Fix Coming | 12 comments |

While file sharing and transferring to a BlackBerry PlayBook may not be a challenge for the technically savvy I know quite a few people who need tips and pointers. I was in the middle of writing up a great article on how to connect and transfer files to a BlackBerry PlayBook over Wi-Fi and one of my friends at RIM pointed out that RIM already has a pretty nice guide. I even learned a thing or two on how to get it to show up as a hard drive on a Mac over USB until Desktop Manager for Mac is updated to support the PlayBook.

RIM does a nice job of explaining how to connect to the BlackBerry PlayBook file system over Wi-Fi or USB (from both a Mac and PC). Keep in mind that when you are transferring large files like videos I would recommend not doing that over Wi-Fi since it could take an inordinate amount of time. On the other hand Wi-Fi transfers are perfect for music, images, documents, and other files.

The following sections outline different methods of transferring files to and from the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Wi-Fi Sharing

Complete the following steps to share files over a Wi-Fi connection:

1. From the BlackBerry PlayBook home screen, select the settings icon.
2. Select Storage and Sharing.
3. Toggle Wi-Fi Sharing to ON.
4. Tap Properties to verify network identification information. (PlayBook name, password etc)
5. From a Windows or Mac based computer on the same network as the BlackBerry PlayBook, navigate to the IP address of the PlayBook which can be found under Settings > About > Network.
   1. On a Windows computer, open the Run dialog box and type \\127.1.1.1 (where 127.1.1.1 should be replaced with the actual IP address of the BlackBerry PlayBook)
   2. On a Mac computer, select Go -> Connect to Server… and type smb://127.1.1.1 (where 127.1.1.1 should be replaced with the actual IP address of the BlackBerry PlayBook)
6. Users will then connect to the media folder which contains several subfolders such as documents, music, photos, videos etc.  Users can then move files between the computer and these folders.

File Sharing with a Mac via USB connection

To share files between a Mac and the BlackBerry PlayBook, BlackBerry Device Manager will need to be installed. Complete the following steps to install BlackBerry Device Manager:

1. Connect the BlackBerry PlayBook to the Mac.
2. On the desktop or within Finder, double click BlackBerry PlayBook CD.
3. Double click the BlackBerry Device Manager Installer to start the installation process.
4. After reviewing the Read Me and License Agreement click Continue Installation.
5. Reboot the computer when prompted.
6. After the reboot is complete and the PlayBook is started, a message may be presented stating that a new network interface has been detected.  If this is the case, click on Network Preferences and click Apply.
7. After the PlayBook has been setup in Network Preferences, the PlayBook share will appear on the desktop whenever the PlayBook is connected to the computer.
8. Click the Playbook icon on the desktop to display the PlayBook share.  Users can then move files between the computer and the PlayBook.

File Sharing with a Windows PC via USB connection

To share files between a Windows based PC and the BlackBerry PlayBook, BlackBerry Device Manager will need to be installed. Complete the following steps to install BlackBerry Device Manager:

1. Connect the BlackBerry PlayBook to the computer via USB cable.
2. If BlackBerry Device Manager is not yet installed, the PlayBook will display a screen entitled Installing Drivers.
3. On the computer, double click the BlackBerry PlayBook CD drive icon.
4. Open the Drivers folder.
5. Double click Setup.exe
6. After selecting the appropriate region and accepting the License Agreement select Install.
7. Select Finish and then OK to the prompt confirming that the PlayBook will need to be disconnected and then reconnected prior to use.
8. Once reconnected to the computer, the BlackBerry PlayBook will be mounted as a Network Drive labeled PlayBook [PIN: 500AAAAA].  Double click the network drive icon to access the PlayBook folders.  Users can then move files between the computer and the PlayBook.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• HOT! Wi-Fi File Transfer: Wirelessly Copy Files to and from Your BlackBerry
• Files & Folders v3.0 Adds Box.net Integration for the PlayBook
• How To: Factory Reset/UnBrick a BlackBerry PlayBook
• Wi-Fi File Transfer: Now Supports All OS 4.5+ Wi-Fi BlackBerrys
• Giveaway: WiFi File Transfer – 50 Free Copies & 50% Off

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 28, 2011, 6:15 pm. | FAQ: Transfer Files to the BlackBerry PlayBook Over Wi-Fi or USB | 6 comments |

When you first setup a BlackBerry PlayBook it asks you to register with a BlackBerry ID and then ties the whole PlayBook to that BlackBerry ID. I was actually asked last week by a user how to change this and had no idea other than wiping the device. Turns out that is what RIM proposes for you to do in their latest knowledge base article. I am guessing this is because they assume all the data on the device is associated with that BlackBerry ID and needs to be removed… The only other caveats are that all installed applications including the preloaded Need for Speed and Tetris applications will also be removed and have to be reinstalled.

Check out the knowledge base article on how to change the BlackBerry ID associated with a BlackBerry PlayBook below or at this link

When setting up the BlackBerry® PlayBook tablet, a BlackBerry ID is required to activate the tablet. This allows seamless access to a variety of BlackBerry® products and services such as the BlackBerry App World storefront.

Once this account has been configured during the initial setup, all activities on the BlackBerry tablet will be authenticated to that BlackBerry ID. If another BlackBerry ID is entered after the initial setup, the following message will be displayed:

In order to change the BlackBerry ID that has been activated to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet on initial setup, a security wipe will need to be performed. To accomplish this, complete the steps below.

NOTE: Before performing a security wipe of the BlackBerry tablet, be advised of the following:

• A security wipe of the BlackBerry tablet will remove any downloaded applications and media (Including pictures/video taken on the BlackBerry tablet or transferred via a PC)
  • To transfer media and documents saved on a BlackBerry PlayBook to a PC before a security wipe, see KB26068.
• Applications purchased through BlackBerry App World on the BlackBerry tablet will still be associated to the BlackBerry ID they were purchased from but will be removed from the BlackBerry tablet upon a security wipe.
  • These purchased applications can be reinstalled through BlackBerry App World at a later time. Under the Uninstalled tab, tap the Reinstall button next to the application to reload
• Any configuration changes made to the BlackBerry tablet (Including Bluetooth pairing information, settings changes, etc.) will be reset to defaults after a security wipe is performed
• Depending on the amount of data stored and the capacity of the BlackBerry tablet (16 GB/32 GB/64 GB), the security wipe may take longer than expected. Ensure that the BlackBerry tablet is plugged into the power outlet to prevent power loss during the security wipe
• After a security wipe, Tetris® and Need For Speed™ Undercover will be removed from the BlackBerry tablet. To reinstall these applications, complete the following:
  1. Open BlackBerry App World on the BlackBerry tablet
  2. Tap into the Search field
  3. Type EA Tetris and tap Return on the keyboard (Type EA Undercover to locate Need For Speed Undercover)
  4. Tap the Tetris for PlayBook icon (Should indicate the price is FREE)
  5. Tap Download 

To perform a security wipe of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, complete the following:

1. Tap the gear icon in the upper right corner to open the Options menu
2. Tap Security from the listing on the left
3. Enter blackberry to confirm the security wipe, then tap Wipe Data
4. The BlackBerry PlayBook will then reset
5. Once the PlayBook restarts, the initial setup process will be presented. Complete these steps and enter the correct BlackBerry ID when prompted.

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet OS v1.0.7.2650 Change Log
• RIM Posts Nice “BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet for Business” Infomercial
• RIM Details Security Features of BlackBerry PlayBook
• RIM Confirms Facebook and Twitter Apps for BlackBerry PlayBook
• WebWorks and the BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet and How it All Fits Together

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 27, 2011, 6:37 pm. | How To Change the BlackBerry ID on a BlackBerry PlayBook | 8 comments |

I have been hearing from a few people that have let their BlackBerry PlayBook battery totally drain having issues charging it back up again. One managed to get it working by performing a hard reset and then leaving it charging. Another purchased the BlackBerry PlayBook rapid charger and that fixed it. I have not run into the issue myself since I have yet to go below 50% battery life on the device but its an important issue since RIM does not offer user replaceable batteries on the device.

RIM did post up a knowledge base article detailing the low battery state of the BlackBerry PlayBook. It is not the most informative but it does give us details on how it works. RIM tells us that:

When the battery level of the BlackBerry PlayBook reaches a level 0%, the tablet will automatically turn off.  The LED will blink in a sequence when attempting to Power On the device indicating a low charge, red blink and then followed by 5 yellow blinks.

This is because the BlackBerry PlayBook battery does not have enough charge to power up the tablet.

Their resolution is:

It is recommended to connect the BlackBerry PlayBook to the Rapid Wall Charger that came with your BlackBerry PlayBook, or one of the charging accessories listed:

• BlackBerry PlayBook Rapid Charging Pod
• BlackBerry Rapid Travel Charger
• BlackBerry Premium Charger

Please leave BlackBerry PlayBook plugged in for approximately 40 minutes or until full charge is achieved.  Connecting to a computer to charge via USB will not be sufficient to charge the tablet.

Let us know if that works for you!

If you liked this article, you might find these interesting:

• BlackBerry PlayBook Charger Is Not A Regular BlackBerry Charger
• RIM Confirms BlackBerry PlayBook Premium Charger Charges Phones 2X Faster!
• BlackBerry PlayBook Battery Life Changed with OS 1.0.3? Possible Fixes
• Looking to Buy PlayBook Accessories RIM Has A Decent Deal
• Primo Battery Cube Backup Battery Pack Actually Looks Good

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, April 27, 2011, 4:04 pm. | RIM Explains The BlackBerry PlayBook Low and Dead Battery State | 12 comments |