At CES 2011, QNX had a concept car with their embedded OS and support for the PlayBook, BlackBerry and iPhone. The PlayBook demonstration was dipped in weak sauce and really only showed climate controls and some basic media player functionality. Other than that, the demo showed some pretty basic support for short text-based messages and a cross-platform user interface which could be embedded in a variety of different car models.
If this sort of system is going to work, it’s going to have to have a lot in the way of voice controls. You can’t have drivers using a touchscreen while driving. Also, RIM is going to have to figure out how the PlayBook, BlackBerry and car are all going to communicate email, calendar and app information so that it’s of use to the driver.
One of the apps we’re pretty excited about for the PlayBook is the Staks app by Thumb Arcade. We gave a quick preview of the app about a week ago and Nan got some video with the developer. The Staks app for the PlayBook takes control of your information – social, RSS, blogs, BBM and more and shrinks the feeds you want to monitor. From the feed, you can expand the ones you want to read or post to. The app looks like it’s going to be an incredible social tool once it’s launched. Stay tuned for pricing and more details.
BBCool reader Nana sent us some video of Common and Lara Spencer hanging out at CES 2011. Common freestyles about the PlayBook and the Torch for the crowd and it’s pretty well received. Even though it’s a fun video, you can’t help but think “oh, how the mighty have fallen.” Remember the Resurrection days when Common was arguably at his best? Well it’s tough economic times and RIM probably pays well.
This video gives you a feel for the gestures and multitasking features that come with the PlayBook. The video also walks you through the PlayBook’s hardware which has some useful connections such as microHDMI (1080p HDMI out), microUSB and charging contacts for rapid charging. Watch the video and take a quick tour of the PlayBook.
We’re wrapping up our coverage of CES 2011 and a popular company for BlackBerry accessories at the show is Otterbox. Otterbox showed us their pink Commuter Series case for the Torch 9800 which has a decent amount of protection and 10% of the cost goes to the Avon Foundation for Women.
Do you have a case for your Torch? Generally, BlackBerrys are built solid, and dropping them rarely results in serious damage, but a case helps to guarantee your smartphone is safe.
Do you need a BlackBerry to own a PlayBook? No, the BlackBerry is a value-add to the PlayBook. Without a BlackBerry, you still get access to a great tablet with core features like smooth multitasking, Flash, games and more. With a BlackBerry, you get additional productivity features like email and calendar. What is BlackBerry Bridge? Again, pairing your BlackBerry gives you a few extra productivity features in a secure manner. When you pair the devices, some PIM information is shared and when the connection is severed, that data is gone from the device.
It should be interesting to see how many people who don’t own BlackBerrys pick up the PlayBook. Are email, calendar and BBM integral to your tablet experience? We’ll see.
