Union has released some pretty sweet BlackBerry PlayBook games over the last few months but they had one fatal flaw. They did not support the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 beta. Rezn @Berryfication noticed that Union has not changed that and added support for OS 2.0 on their 11 PlayBook games. That includes hot titles like Samurai II Vengeance, Burn the City, and Roboto.

Check out all of Union’s PlayBook games in App World. Anybody else seeing this as a clear sign of PlayBook OS 2.0 launching very soon?

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• Sweet Unity Union 3D PlayBook Games Demoed!
• Find Free Flash Games for your PlayBook on FlashPlayBook.com

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 9, 2012, 9:52 am. | Union Games Updated to Support PlayBook OS 2.0! | One comment |

Earlier demos of the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 release showed integration with Twitter and LinkedIn in the accounts page but there was no sign of Facebook. We knew that it had to be coming and now Kevin @CrackBerry noticed that it has been added in RIM’s demos at BlackBerry DevCon. Not a huge deal but its nice to see that it is integrated with everything including the unified messaging app. Definitely a good sign of what is to come in the future especially for BB10 phones.

Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

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

• Facebook 1.5 Previewed! Will Add Contacts Integration & More
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• Facebook v2.0.0.986 for the BlackBerry PlayBook – Small Update
• Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook v2.1 Released With Groups & More

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 9, 2012, 5:44 am. | Facebook Integration Spotted in Latest BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 | Leave a comment |

Compilr is a really useful web based IDE for writing code without installing anything. In short it is an easy way to pump out or edit anything from PHP to C++ in a simple easy to use website. Compilr let us know that they have taken things a step further and released a launcher app for their Compilr service to get you up and running faster. They have over 80,000 users and I am really digging the HTML5 as an app sort of service.

I will be giving it a spin over the next few days. You can check out the service at www.compilr.com or download the PlayBook launcher app here.

PS: Anybody else think its weird that this app is rated “Teen”?

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

• Developers Can Now Code Sign BlackBerry PlayBook Apps
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• Free QR Code Scanner for the BlackBerry PlayBook
• Devs: RIM Releases Quake3 Engine Port Source Code for PlayBook
• RIM Explains a Bit More about New “Cloud Based BES” Service

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 8, 2012, 1:35 pm. | Write Code on Your PlayBook With the Web Based Compilr | Leave a comment |

T-Mobile has been offering odd value plans recently where you put a down payment and monthly cost to pay off a device. Now they have gotten back to classic deals by offering the BlackBerry Bold 9900 for free after a $250 rebate for Valentine’s Day. The deal is only good on Saturday Feb 11th and you get the $250 in the form of a card.

Check out the details below or on T-Mobile’s website:

Cupid’s Arrow Hits Mark: T-Mobile Offers Free 4G Phones to Celebrate Valentine’s

For one day only, on Feb.11, all of T-Mobile’s 4G smartphones and select mobile broadband devices are free with the switch to a qualifying two-year plan

BELLEVUE, Wash. — Feb. 7, 2012 — In the spirit of the season, T-Mobile USA, Inc. will show consumers lots of love with another jaw-dropping promotion for its “Valentine’s Day Sale.” For one day only, Saturday, Feb. 11, T-Mobile will give customers the chance to get their hands on the latest 4G smartphones and select tablets for free, making a perfect gift for loved ones or themselves. The promotion includes T-Mobile’s fastest 4G smartphones and select tablets running on America’s Largest 4G Network^® such as the Samsung Galaxy S^™ II¹ and the T-Mobile^® SpringBoard^™ with Google™.

New and existing eligible customers can take advantage of this deal receiving their device for free after a mail-in rebate card when they sign up for a new two-year contract on any qualifying Classic Plan^™2 or for a $0.00 down payment after mail-in rebate card when signing up on a qualifying Unlimited Value^™3Plan.

“T-Mobile has a commitment to make the 4G experience affordable and accessible to everyone, so this sweet deal on smartphones and tablets is our Valentine’s gift to consumers,” said John Clelland, senior vice president of marketing, T-Mobile USA. “No matter where loved ones live, T-Mobile wants to bring them closer with unlimited talking, photo sharing, video chatting, texting, and more.”

A recent online Omnibus survey⁴ with Harris Interactive found that four-in-ten (44%) of first time smartphone buyers in 2012 say the cost of the data plan associated with the smartphone is the most influential reason they have not purchased a smartphone before. The value for customers extends beyond the “Valentine’s Day Sale” as T-Mobile offers the best rate plan pricing on America’s Largest 4G Network.

The following is a sample of the exceptional devices available during the “Valentine’s Day Sale” if customers choose to sign up on a two-year Classic Plan^™:

The “Valentine’s Day Sale” will be available on Feb.11 at participating T-Mobile retail stores nationwide and T-Mobile will support the promotion with a national television advertising campaign. For more information about T-Mobile’s “Valentine’s Day Sale” and details about qualifying plans, visit http://bit.ly/z36M9c.

¹ Devices must be supported with the following data requirements: voice phones: 200 MB data; most smartphones: 2 GB data; 42 Mbps devices (Amaze and Galaxy S II): 5 GB data.

²Standard upgrade eligibility rules apply for existing Classic customers that stay on a Classic plan; standard migration fees will apply for existing Classic customers that switch to a Value plan and have less than 18 months contract tenure.

³ $0 down payment offer not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL; customers in these regions will be eligible for a different offer. Equipment installment plans: On approved credit and 0 percent APR. Down payment and unfinanced portion required at purchase. Remaining balance paid in 20 monthly installments. Total post-rebate price of each device equals down payment amount plus monthly payment amount times 20.

⁴This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of T-Mobile USA from December 20-22, 2011 among 2,573 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 235 will be first time smartphone buyers in 2012, and 988 are current smartphone users who will remain smartphone users in 2012. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contactkmcfadzean@waggeneredstrom.com.

⁵Mail-in rebate not applicable in RI, CT, or Miami-Dade County, FL.

About T-Mobile USA, Inc.

Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG (OTCQX: DTEGY). By the end of the third quarter of 2011, approximately 129 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group — 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA — all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS and additionally HSPA+ 21/HSPA+ 42. T-Mobile USA’s innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile USA among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG. For further information on Deutsche Telekom, please visit www.telekom.com/investor-relations. For more information about T-Mobile’s 4G products, services and network availability, please visit http://www.t-mobile.com.

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• T-Mobile Valentines Day Promotion – Every Phone Free on Feb 11th and 12th

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 8, 2012, 10:08 am. | T-Mobile Offering BlackBerry Bold 9900 Free on Valentine’s Day | 2 comments |

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 has not been getting any OS 7.1 love so its nice to see it getting some attention. The N4BB team scored OS 7.1.0.247 for the Bold 9790. No word on what is in this version though it does seem to be the latest OS 7.1 version yet.

Check it out at these links:

• DepositFiles
• BitShare
• RapidShare
• zShare
• FileJungle
• JumboFiles

Warning: This OS will not install on any other BlackBerry besides the one mentioned above and is not an official release.If you do not know how to upgrade your BlackBerry OS please start by reading this step by step guide.Don’t forget to delete the vendor.xml file located in c:program files>common files>research in motion>apploader to install it on a different carriers device. Don’t forget our usual warnings: do not download and install these updates if you don’t know what you’re doing. Incorrect procedure or just bad luck could render your BlackBerry inoperative or unstable.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 7, 2012, 8:52 pm. | BlackBerry Bold 9790 OS 7.1.0.247 Found Online | 2 comments |

RIM made it official that they are offering a free BlackBerry PlayBook to developers who submit a BlackBerry PlayBook app but they made it sound like it was for Android ports only. Marc pointed out to me that RIM is actually offering the free BlackBerry PlayBook app for any dev that releases a new BlackBerry PlayBook app and submits it to App World before February 13th. I cannot seem to confirm if current devs are also eligible but it looks like it.

If you are a PlayBook dev or a potential dev I highly recommend checking out the terms and conditions of this offer on RIM’s website. Its also nice to see RIM offer a promotion like this internationally.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 7, 2012, 3:25 pm. | RIM Details Free BlackBerry PlayBook Offer for ANY Devs (Not Just Android!) | 3 comments |

RIM has gone ahead and confirmed that BlackBerry Bridge will also be getting a v2.0. While on stage at BlackBerry DevCon Europe Vivek Bhardwaj, Head of Software Portfolio EMEA at RIM, tried to demo opening a picture you took on your BlackBerry smartphone on your PlayBook. This is a cool Open On feature that RIM is adding in PlayBook OS 2.0 but sadly it did not work during the keynote. Alex @RIM followed up with Vivek and had a chance to get a demo of it actually working below:

Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

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• Updated: BlackBerry PlayBook Screenshots Don’t Work When Bridge Enabled (BES)

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 7, 2012, 11:56 am. | RIM Shows How “Open On..” Features Works for BlackBerry Bridge 2.0 | 6 comments |

RIM’ TAT (The Astonishing Tribe) group keeps on releasing new content packs for their slick Scrapbook app. Zach @TheBerryFix noticed that RIM has added a new Valentine’s Day theme pack to the scrapbooking app. Its a pretty slick update full of pink and hearts (I hate pink). Check it out by downloading the SrapBook for the PlayBook app free from AppWorld or if you already have it just look for more theme packs.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 7, 2012, 10:54 am. | Free PlayBook Scrapbook App Gets Valentine’s Day Theme Pack | One comment |

We saw a leak of OS 7.1.0.205 earlier which RIM has been pushing through carrier testing. I have been hearing conflicting opinions between OS 7.1.0.190 vs .205 about battery life but still its nice to see the GSM 9900 getting official OS love. Hopefully AT&T will jump on the bandwagon soon along with AT&T releases for the Torch lineup!

You can get the update by going to Options->Device->Software Updates to get the latest. My guess is it will also be available on T-Mobile’s download site shortly.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 7, 2012, 7:43 am. | T-Mobile US Officially Rolling Out Bold 9900 OS 7.1.0.205 | 4 comments |

The Dingleberry team keeps on rolling out updates and improvements to their PlayBook jailbreaking tool. The latest update over the weekend brings us to v3.3.2. Since the previous release that we mentioned there are now new scripts that do things like turn on USB host or scripting themes and Android Market installations.

You can find the update at www.dingleberry.it or the change log is below:

3.3.2

• Fixed an issue with IP addresses
• Scripts are now monitored better (termination and echo output).
• Fixed a timing bug that affected some users (from DB 3.0 to 3.3.1) with bad USB latency. Thanks ledhed33.
• New Script: Toggle USB Host Mode

3.3.1

• Fixed a glitch where [USB] would accidently be placed in to the IP address. Removed it from the display as well.
• IP Address input now only allows 0-9 and period keys.
• New Script: USB Host Mode Enabler (FAT32 + Keyboard/Mouse)

3.3.0

• IP/Pass visible in header of every page. More consistency. Allows seeing which IP is used.
• UI renovation.
• Side-loading tool added for installing .script and .theme files. (No .bar/.apk YET).
• Script files can be used to automate Themes and Android Market installations.
• Notification for login errors such as incorrect password
• More efficient testing of whether USB/Wifi is connected
• More transparent key generation
• Removal of setup/instructions page.
• Help button next to IP that shows old setup/instructions page.
• Fixed a crash when updating to a Full OS
• Fix an issue with Wifi dingle SSH
• New Script: Toggle USB Keyboard sound.

3.2.1

• Maintenance release fixing download/downgrade crashes. Related to crossing of packets between PB and Download Server.
• Fixed crash occurring after deleting Firmware folder

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

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• Advanced Users: Dingleberry Jailbreak v2.1 Persists Root Access With Latest BlackBerry PlayBook OS

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 6, 2012, 10:14 am. | Dingleberry Jailbreak Tool Updated to v3.3.2 | Leave a comment |

Trevor Nunes has updated his awesome SEGA Genesis Megadrive emulator for the BlackBerry PlayBook over the weekend. This new version adds the key rom cycling feature that I have been waiting for. It also adds some other goodies you will appreciate. It looks like Trevor is actively working on the port so hopefully more goodies are coming!

Features include:

• rom cycling!
• new gfx and gfx effects buttons
• tv icon selects scanline, blur, interlace ‘tv’ modes
• start button on right hand side of screen, top left is rom cycler …
• HQX button cycles through HQX scaling but currently not scaled, so kind of useless
• missing roms message sticks on screen if no roms are found
• dirs are created for you

Check out the details here on Trevors Blog where you can also find the download links for PlayBook OS1 and OS2.

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• Sanoodi SMap – Free Route Mapping App For Running, Hiking, Cycling, & More

Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 6, 2012, 7:42 am. | PlayBook SEGA Genesis Megadrive DGEN Emulator Updated With ROM Cycling | One comment |

Beautiful old-school vector graphics harken back to my early arcade days spent pumping quarters into Gravitar and Tempest. Smartly-implemented dual-analog controls enable you to spread blazing electric death in all directions; one for motion, the other for destruction, exactly like Robotron of old. Upload your scores for each of the 3 game modes and unlock more powerful ships as you earn medals. Smooth framerates without a hint of lag + gorgeous colorful vector graphics = fantastic frenetic frakking fun. 4MB, free, fun. Download and destroy!

Download PewPew from BlackBerry AppWorld

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Posted by rrrebo for ©BerryReview, February 3, 2012, 3:51 pm. | PewPew Shooter For PlayBook Free In AppWorld | 3 comments |

Thom let us know about a fun new PlayBook game called Dragon Rescue. This is one of TRUTRUKA’s first BlackBerry games and it seems to be a real hit. I had a chance to play it and its a great “shooter” game with smooth graphics and easy controls. The game could use a bit of work in some departments but the gameplay is solid.

Check out Dragon Rescue in App World for $2.99

No related posts.

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 3, 2012, 10:07 am. | Save the Last Dragon With Dragon Rescue on the BlackBerry PlayBook | 2 comments |

A buddy of mine let us know that Neurona Sistemas has released My Hard Disk for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The new app lets you access your PC’s hard disk including files and folders from your PlayBook to immediately access the files you need. The app works with a client on your PC and you have to register the address to make sure you can connect.

If you have been looking for a solution like this check out My Hard Disk for BlackBerry PlayBook for $1.99 in App World

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 3, 2012, 8:38 am. | Access your PC’s Files From your PlayBook With My Hard Disk | 5 comments |

I guess good things come in twos. We just mentioned one third party Google Talk client for the PlayBook and now BBNews.pl noticed another one. Benjamin Bezine has released a free beta of his easyChat Google Talk client for the BlackBerry PlayBook today. This new app lets you easily chat with your friends on Google talk and check out their status. Not all the features are up to par but it is still in beta so hopefully they will round out.

Definitely check out easyChat for free in App World on your BlackBerry PlayBookхудожник на икониИкони на светци

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 5:40 pm. | Updated: easyChat Google Talk Client Beta for the BlackBerry PlayBook | 9 comments |

This is not the most complex or visually amazing app but it is fun and better yet totally free! Ever wanted to play an impromptu game of spin the bottle? Bytebau has you covered with their free Spin the Bottle game for the BlackBerry PlayBook. You can set anywhere from 2-10 players to start the fun.

Check out Spin the Bottle free in App World

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 2:14 pm. | Free Spin the Bottle App for the BlackBerry PlayBook | One comment |

Here I thought $199 would be the lowest it would officially go. Now we have some reliable confirmation from MobileSyrup that TELUS is offering the BlackBerry PlayBook 16GB and 32GB models for $149.99 for one week starting tomorrow. The 64GB model will remain at $299.99.

So who is going to pick one up tomorrow?

No related posts.

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 2:10 pm. | TELUS Selling 16GB & 32GB PlayBooks for $149.99 for 1 Week ONLY! | 16 comments |

Update: As Shane pointed out to me you can simply use the native Facebook app to do Facebook chat for free though I still want to see a Google Talk client come out officially. (Better yet Google Maps!)

I am waiting for Google or RIM to release their own Google Talk client for the PlayBook. If you are tired of waiting and using the web clients you may want to check out Scott Greenberg Design’s new Client for Google Talk and Client for Facebook Chat. They seem pretty bare bones but functional. The Facebook chat client has been out since mid-November but Thom let me know that the Google Talk client just launched. Either way they are unofficial clients so buyer beware.

If you want you can check them out in App World:

• BlackBerry PlayBook Client for Google Talk $1.99
• BlackBerry PlayBook Client for Facebook Chat $0.99

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 1:55 pm. | Dev Releases Unofficial Google Talk & Facebook Chat PlayBook Apps | One comment |

Now that is a title I doubt I will be use again. Thom let us know about Redikod releasing A Gay Dragon HD for the BlackBerry PlayBook. They call it a “strategic 3D puzzler” where you are guiding the adorable dragon, Melwin, through a 3D world to sneak past dangers to find treasure and true love. In short you help a dragon steal treasure and pimp out his lair.

If that sounds like fun to you head on over to App World and get A Gay Dragon for $1.99! You can also get more info at agaydragon.com.

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 10:55 am. | A Gay Dragon Makes its Way Onto the BlackBerry PlayBook | 6 comments |

Terrence noticed that Jotsy has updated their public beta of Jotsy for the BlackBerry PlayBook to v2.0. In case you don’t remember when we mentioned the original beta Jotsy allows you to annotate PDF documents on your PlayBook and is free for a limited time. It synchronizes your annotations and documents with your PC through their “Cloud.”

The cool part of Jotsy 2.0 is that it brings synchronization of your PC to your Box.com accounts. This allows users of Jotsy to annotate any PDF document that has been uploaded to their Box.com account from their Mac, PC, Email, or other device. Essentially this extends Jotsy to work with anything on Box.com which has clients and interfaces with many other services and devices.

Features contained in Jotsy 2.0 include:

• Several bug fixes related to document scrolling, loading, and WiFi connectivity
• Ability to sync and access documents stored locally on your PC
• PC – based access to documents stored on any of your box.com accounts
• Upload annotated PDFs to your PC or box.com account for further distribution
• “Bear Paw” navigation for easy access to text boxes, highlight styles, and pen colours
• Individual or global removal of annotations
• User selection of Bear Paw menu position
• Pagination, jump
• to page number, and “dogear” current page for future reference

You can find the updated version of Jotsy in App World here

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 10:26 am. | Free Jotsy Document Annotator Beta v2.0 Released for the PlayBook | 2 comments |

Amazon has not really been part of RIM’s deep discounts of the BlackBerry PlayBook. Their prices have tended to be higher especially since they were mostly sold by third parties. NightFire pointed out to us in the comments that Amazon is now selling the 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook model directly on their website for $199. That is a enticing deal since they have free shipping, no tax in most states, and a liberal return policy in case are unsure.

Check out the 16GB BlackBerry PlayBook on Amazon.com

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Posted by Ronen Halevy for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 9:49 am. | Amazon Now Selling the PlayBook 16GB Model Directly for $199 w/ Free Shipping | 2 comments |

Another day and now we have another emulator for the BlackBerry PlayBook. This new one is for the SEGA Genesis (aka Megadrive) and was done by developer Froggyface. Duke @OpensourceBB noticed the new project (GitHub) and the developer announcing the port on his blog. The emulator port is based on DGen SDL which is a popular opensource emulator for the Sega Genesis. Right now it has some limitations like ROM cycling and zipped ROM support but they are on Trevor Nunes to do list!

You can download and sideload the DGEN emulator for the PlayBook from MediaFire and find instructions on Trevor’s blog. Keep in mind you will have to “acquire” your own SEGA Genesis ROM files but a quick Google search should point you in the right direction.

Let us know if you get it working and kudos to Trevor!

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 2, 2012, 9:43 am. | SEGA Genesis (aka Megadrive) DGEN Emulator Ported to the BlackBerry PlayBook! | 6 comments |

"Syz: EG" is a slick game developed by TeamKrinoid using the Marmalade SDK that they have ported to the BlackBerry PlayBook recently. It has a really cool use of multi touch with each hand doing something different. You control where you are aiming your weapon with one finger while dodging enemy weapons with your other finger. This also means that the controls are not on screen blocking the gameplay. Syz also throws in some fun with different abilities and perspectives along with voiced dialogue.

Check out this demo of the game on the iPad to see what I mean:

Desktop Video Link | Mobile Video Link

You can find Syz: EG in App World for $2.99

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Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, February 1, 2012, 3:31 pm. | "Syz: EG" Multi-Touch Tactical Space Shooter for the BlackBerry PlayBook | 2 comments |

I have apparently become a case freak. I really want/need my devices protected. I have 3 kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and lots of opportunities for personal electronics to get knocked, dropped, dinged, scratched, scuffed, or otherwise violated. 3 of 4 phones in my house live in Otterbox Commuters. My PlayBook never leaves the house out of its OEM Convertible case.

That being said, I find that I prefer my PlayBook naked at home. The thing is just so darned comfortable as-is! Unfortunately, my paranoia has steadily grown, so I decided that a slim scuff guard of some sort was in order. Enter the Case-Mate Barely There.

The Barely There is just that. It’s a slim, semi-rigid sheath that snaps right onto the PlayBook. It’s so thin, it’s almost invisible. The box actually has the dubious tagline “Like a thong for your tablet” on the back. I’m not even kidding:

The Barely There has cut-outs for all the buttons and ports, including the dual microphones. Access to the buttons and ports is not hampered in any way due to the extreme thinness of the case, but it does add just enough bulk to prevent use of the charging dock.

It completely covers the back, top and bottom edges of the PlayBook, as well as the corners, providing adequate minimalist scuff and scratch protection. The top and bottom edges come up above the PlayBook just enough to prevent the screen from touching a flat surface if laid face-down on it, though it provides no more than a millimeter clearance. Since there’s only the barest overlap on the front edges of the device itself, bezel gestures are completely unaffected by the case.

The Barely There case, curiously, leaves the sides of your PlayBook completely open and unprotected. This is, I suppose,  a concession to the minimalist theory behind the case’s design, but in my world, danger comes from all directions, so I was disappointed by this lack of lateral protection.

I probably could have gotten over the lack of side protection, but for one glaring flaw: this case is sharp, and not in a ZZ Top kind of way. The back edges are rounded on all four sides, but every front edge of this case is sharp to the touch, making it uncomfortable to hold and shift your grip on it. The exposed sides leave a sharp edge all along the part of the PlayBook right where your hands go. Every time I reached toward the touchscreen or shifted the position in which I was holding the PlayBook, my hands or fingers caught or scraped on this uncomfortable edge. Even the front corners felt sharp, as did the thin seams around the buttons and ports. A naked PlayBook is a joy to hold; smooth, secure, and comfortable. This case makes it less so.

The Case-Mate Barely There case takes a minimalist approach to minimalist protection. It adds almost no bulk at all and provides good basic scuff protection for the back of the PlayBook, top and bottom, but leaves the sides open. You may find that its sharp front edges cause you no discomfort., but after 2 days of constantly putting the case on, getting annoyed, and taking it off again, I decided that, for me, this flaw was a deal-breaker. A case that is meant to be “barely there” should not cause a tactile distraction every time you use it. I’m sending it back and ordering an OEM soft shell.

PROS: Ultra-thin, adds no appreciable bulk, provides basic scuff protection, blends almost flawlessly into the appearance of the PlayBook, leaves ports, buttons, and bezels unhindered.

CONS: No side protection, very little, if any, impact/drop protection, sharp edges make it uncomfortable to use.

RATING: 6/10

The Case-Mate Barely There Case is available for ~$17 @ Amazon and other retailers

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

• Case-Mate Go Bare Sticker Cases Coming Soon & Custom Case Designs
• Review: Trident Perseus Case for Playbook
• Review: BlackBerry Playbook Ballistic Tough Jacket Series Case
• Review: Smart Skin From Case Mate for the BlackBerry Curve/Pearl
• Case-Mate BlackBerry Bold 9700 Fuel Case Now Available!!!

Posted by rrrebo for ©BerryReview, January 31, 2012, 5:55 pm. | Review: Case-Mate Barely There For PlayBook | 6 comments |

First RIM asked PlayBook devs to test their apps for PlayBook OS 2.0 and submit new versions by Feb 7th to make it before the OS 2.0 launch. Now they have reached out to Android Devs on the DevBlog asking them to submit Android apps for PlayBook OS 2.0 by February 6th to ensure that it is available for the release of PlayBook OS 2.0. Since RIM’s App World review timeline for new apps (not updates) usually sits in the 1-2 week range that fits right in the current rumored February 17th or possibly 21st launch dates. As RIM says:

In order to ensure that your packaged and signed Android app is available in the BlackBerry App World™ storefront for the release of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0, be sure to have your app submitted by Monday, February 6th, 2012.

If you are an Android Dev I highly recommend getting started now especially since it takes time to register an App World vendor account. You can find all the details RIM has provided along with the three tools for porting Android apps referenced in RIM’s request or simply check out their Android runtime microsite.

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

• RIM Asking Devs to Test Their PlayBook Apps for OS 2.0 By February 7th
• Handster Android Marketplace Starting to Submit Apps to App World for Developers
• RIM: BlackBerry PlayBook Will Support Android 2.3 Apps!
• Handster Loads 210+ Android Apps & Games for PlayBook in App World
• How to Sideload Android Apps for PlayBook Android Player (Netflix Example)

Posted by the BerryReview Team for ©BerryReview, January 31, 2012, 3:12 pm. | RIM Asking Android Devs to Submit PlayBook Apps by February 6th | 3 comments |