Tablet Wars, comparing Blackberry Playbook with the iPad and Motorola Xoom.

It seems that the tablet is all the rage these days. Nobody has been talking about any new computers or cell phones lately. But strike up a conversation about the latest tablet and you can get people talking all day long about their favorite. So I decided it was about time to review a couple and discuss what might make one better than the other. We will be talking about the Blackberry Playbook, Apple iPad, and the Motorola Xoom. These are the three major ones either on the market or due to hit the market soon.

Apple does one thing very well. They are great at managing their brand. And by being innovators within the market they continue to keep their brand on top even when it really isn't the best thing out there. Blackberry and Motorola are soon to invade the market with their latest products and the iPad should be worried. The iPad is sleek, skinny and does come with anti-fingerprint coatings. However it is the heaviest of the three. And for all the iPads innovation, they are forced to fight a battle that they will be losing simply because they came out first.

It is common for products that hit the market first. It is a trade off between early sales and giving your competitors time to see what you offer and beat it. In many cases that seems to be what happened here. Blackberry and Motorola did that in many areas.

The Blackberry Playbook will be coming out the first couple months of the year while the Xoom will follow shortly after. With the specs finally released for all three we can now see how they stack up. And after a close review of what they can do and watching a couple videos of the tablets in action, it's close but the Playbook does take the prize in this one.

Although it is close with the exception of a couple areas it may still come down to preference and price for many. Not to mention availability. The Xoom will be available exclusively through Verizon. So unless you can unlock it like you can a smartphone, you will not be getting a Xoom unless you have a Verizon account.

Lets take a look at what they can do. First the Blackberry Playbook.

• 7 inch LCD screen, 1024x600 (1080p) full multi-touch & gesture support.
• 1ghz Dual-Core Processor, 1gb RAM
• 2 Cameras (3mp front / 5mp rear) Full HD - 1080p recording
• Video playback - 1080p, H.264, MPEG, DivX, WMV / HDMI video output
• Audio - MP#, AAC, WMA
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 +EDR
• Micro HDMI, Micro USB, charging contacts
• Open Flexible Application Platform, Support for WebKit, HTML-5, Full Flash, Adobe support, POSIX, OpenGL, Java

 And for the Motorola Xoom:

• 1ghz Dual-Core Nvidia Tegra 2 Processor
• 10.1 inch display. 1280x800 Gorilla touch screen
• 1080p video output, HDMI output
• 32 gb internal storage (software update required before it will support SD cards)
• 1gb DDR2 RAM
• 2 Cameras (2mp front / 5mp rear), 720p  recording
• Gyroscope, Barometer, E-Compass, Accelerometer
• Wi-Fi (n), Bluetooth 2.1
• Audio - AAC, AAC+, MP3, XMF, AMR, AMR WB, WMA

The iPad specs are similar in some ways. Well, the ways that matter that is. And by similar I mean close. The processor on the iPad is a 1ghz (that is what matters here) Apple A4. It is a custom processor made specifically for the iPad. It is a 1ghz chip but it is not a Dual-Core setup so it will suffer in benchmark tests. The iPad screen is about the same, 9.7 inches and is multi-touch as well. They also have an accelerometer just like the Xoom. The iPad loves to show off their capacity which comes in either a 16gb or 32gb model. However both the Xoom and Playbook have better resolution than the iPad as well as support for various audio and video formats.

All three generally have it where it counts. And each one is just a little better or a little worse in area that they comparable in. Let me tell you here what really matters. When you buy one of these your going to be using it to get on the Internet, play some videos, maybe run some spreadsheets or various little applications, among some other odds and ends. The Apple iPad can multi-task to a point. It starts to suffer from memory shortage after having two or three apps running and will start wiping them away. It may continue a download in the background, but that's about it. The only window working at full steam at that point is the one you have on top.

Here is where the Playbook shines. Blackberry has done a masterful job at OS implementation. The Playbook runs seamless even when multi-tasking. Out of the three pads the Playbook is the only one that can run multiple windows all fully. Nothing will run at half speed or half capacity when multi-tasking. So if you need a pad that can run multiple browser windows and still keep your stock ticker or streaming music running without a hiccup in the background this will be it for you.

The Xoom strives to get to the top using little features. Featuring multiple hardware functions such as a gyroscope and barometer it offers a future of possibilities. This plus the fact that their marketing heavily on Verizon's 4G-LTE to be available and supported on the Xoom. This means that for a mobile device you should have no problem either connecting to the Internet or becoming your own personal Hotspotsome cups and your all set.

I wont even get into the pricing because if you can afford one of these things, price does not matter. Personally unless your a business person always on the move and a laptop is a bit too bulky and cumbersome for your liking your really don't need one. Especially if you have a smartphone already. These are essentially underpowered notebooks. And that being the case, how many devices does one person need? Your on a business trip and you have a laptop, smartphone, and a tablet? There is a bit of overkill in that scenario. Can you guess where?

Either way these devices are nice and they do what they promise very well. The Playbook hits the mark a little better. But the Xoom is a close second and based on a preference you might have the Xoom can even be considered number 1. If your looking for sheer power and functionality and a device that can handle pure multi-tasking then the Blackberry is your machine. If you want a device that can give you enough power to handle normal functions of your day to day operations and still look nice playing a video on youtube then go with the Xoom.

Whatever you do, if you are in the market for one of these do NOT purchase an iPad. You will be wasting money much better spent on one of the other two. Your money will will go further with Motorola or Blackberry. Plus you will not have to deal with all the DRM that comes with iTunes and their overhyped and useless music service. Or better yet, save your money and upgrade your smartphone. Alot of those I am seeing today are falling behind the curve and some can do almost as much as a pad! So get a phone and save everyone, including yourself the headaches.

Blackberry Playbook offers great flash based web content.

As you can see from the above video, the Blackberry Playbook offers a very smooth and seamless playback of flash content and flash based sites. In addition to the great playback the video also shows the playbook connecting to full versions of the websites that it surfs to. You do not get a slimmed-down mobile version of the web when browsing with the Playbook. That is one of the best selling points of this device. Not only do you get the great memory and power that it offers, but nothing is slimmed-down with the Playbook like with the I-Pad and other similar devices. This will be a great toy to pick up when it is released. Keep checking here for more news and cool videos as they hit the web.

Some Brittish Blackberry Humor!

This one is a riot. I got a kick out of it and thought that you would too. Check it out.. it's a great laugh. And just a quick pointer.. when they mention "orange" in the skit.. Orange is a cellular service provider out there, like Verizon. And a "dongle" is what a connector is sometimes called.. I say that because just last week someone had asked me what it was. So I thought I would mention it before someone watches the video and does not get the joke because they are not sure what it was.... Enjoy the laughs!

RIM launches NEWS RSS Feeds in Beta

For all of you that take advantage of RSS feeds, AND use your Blackberry to do so, RIM today announces their own native app to do just that. Most people, myself included, use 3rd party RSS readers such as Viigo. However with RIM's new app you will get the same experience but some better overall performance considering it is an app developed by RIM for use on their own systems and utilizing all the benefits and features of their OS. Now that is what RIM is reporting. I myself have my doubts.

Why? Well.. just because the 3rd party apps that are currently on the market due a pretty damn good job. For example, Viigo the leading RSS reader, doe not leave much to be desired. With the exception of maybe some faster updates, Viigo lets you do pretty much what you need to do in order to get the feeds you need. You can add your own channels, update the channels that are already included, get stats, and include any one of your contacts in the feeds also. RIM says their app will do this and more.. now what the "more" is, that's what has me wondering.

I will be downloading and testing the app later today when it is made available (at the time of this writing it still was not available) and report my findings. But until then, you can check with BB Appworld for the download. Once made available I will include a link in my update article.

Free Blackberry Holiday Theme!

Well, if your like me and just love the Christmas season you may want to jump on this Holiday theme for your Blackberry. The theme is free and is designed by the award winning WJD Designs group. They do some stellar work on premium themes, and this year they have been asked by the Crackberry team to do their annual Holiday theme for them.

The theme they came up with is not out of this world fantastic in my opinion. But it gets the job done. It is a nice, elegant and simple theme for anyone looking to add some holiday spice to their Blackberry this holiday season. The theme is compatible with the following devices: Storm 2/Storm1, Bold 9700, Tour, Pearl 3G, Bold 9000, Curve 8900, Curve 85xx.

If interested in downloading this for your phone, just click here and you will be all set.

Enjoy the holidays and as any new Blackberry news pops up, you can be sure to get it here with us!

Blackberry OS leaks.

Quite a few of the readers that I know about are Blackberry users. I myself use a blackberry. And being technologically minded I have an interest in knowing about OS leaks when they are released. However there are alot of people out there that feel the Blackberry is a lot of phone. So much so, that taking a new Operating System and actually installing it is a tall order. And the readership on this blog is not the high-end techy nerds that some sites have. And we don't aim our posts at that demographic.

We aim our context at the mid-level techy. The guys and gals that know how to use the devices they own and may at time dabble in something a bit deeper. But are by no means the type that will be attending any DEF CON conventions anytime soon. So that brings me to my main point. Leaks of the various Blackberry device Operating Systems are out there. They hit the "scene" at a rate of about 1-2 a week, depending on the device. Now I will occasionally install a leaked OS or a Hybrid leak on my Blackberry. But it really depends on how much time I have on hand and how good the reports of the particular leak are. There is nothing more annoying than installing a leak, re-organizing everything on my phone, just to find out that the OS sucks and that I have to downgrade back to the original OS I was running in the first place. So I take previous users comments seriously on the subject.

I wanted to have a section on this blog where I would announce certain leaks or hybrids that were released. But that's when I had the thoughts detailed above. Is it worth it? Will the majority of the readers of this blog benefit from these being put on the site? Will anyone care? I don't know if anyone will. So what I am going to do is have a section that details the current OS that is out there for select Blackberry devices. Probably the most popular ones. With maybe a few leaks sprinkled in there. Only the ones that make sense based on what they offer or what they do for the device. We will  give it a shot and see how it goes. I'm sure if it does not work out or no one is downloading any of the leaks then I can always remove the page. Let's just call it what it is, a trial. So as time goes on let me know how this turns out. I will check the download stats occasionally. But nothing helps more than comments from the readers. You guys are more valuable than you sometimes give yourselves credit for.

Slacker adds Holiday Stations to the mix!

For those of you who have yet to discover Slacker radio, it is only the best Internet radio station there is. At least in my humble opinion anyhow. But seriously.. Slacker does it all. They have a plethora of preset stations based on all the typical genres. And if you don't like what they have you can set a custom station for yourself. Just type in the name of a Band, a song, or a type of music and Slacker will gather up a bunch of the same type of music and build you a radio station based off that selection. And I must tell you, the station that they put together for you is not too bad. They do a good job matching the custom station with your likes based on that first choice you typed in.

On top of Slackers great musical selection, they only play about 1 commercial for every 6 songs or so. So as you listen to your favorite music, you only have to put up with a commercial about every 30 minutes or so. Not to mention the commercials are only about 30 seconds and they generally only play one. Then it's right back to your music.

Now Slacker is bringing some Holiday tunes to the mix. They have a great selection preset Holiday stations in addition to building your own of course.

• Holiday Hits
• Classic Holidays
• Jazz Holidays
• Holiday Party
• Contemporary Holiday
• Country Holiday
• R&B and Soul Holiday
• Rock/Alternative Holiday
• Dysfunctional Holiday
• Classical Holiday

If you thought that was cool enough it gets better! They also provide all of this for your mobile phone as well. And all the great features you get online you also get on your smartphone too! You don't lose any functionality when listening to Slacker on your phone. So give Slacker a shot. If you have not heard of it yet, or tried it before, you better do so. It is great for setting some background music at a party and is just like having a professional DJ working your personal music library. just set it and forget it!

http://www.slacker.com/

Crackberry has a new look!

Not much a reason for a new post I suppose, but if your a Blackberry user/owner then you undoubtedly are a "crackberry" addict. If that is the case - then you surely have paid a vist to the Crackberry website. If you have not, then you are truly missing out.

Crackberry is the foremost authority on all things Blackberry. If there is a new OS leak, or a new premium theme you will find it on Crackberry. And now they have just overhauled their site and I must say it looks pretty snazzy. Give it a look-see, if you haven't already. You should find it pleasing...

www.crackberry.com

or from your mobile device (most likely a Blackberry)

http://m.crackberry.com

Playbook vs IPAD - RIM puts it all out there!

It sure is nice to see RIM being aggressive with their marketing of the new Blackberry Playbook. In the past, RIM has shied away from any sort of head to head comparisons of their products. Not because their products were inferior, but rather because they did not want any inconsistencies to show. Or to give anyone the opportunity to point out where their products may have lacked in certain areas, even if their products were superior overall.

However, RIM has of late been coming out with some solid products. Their improvements of certain models of their Blackberry mobile phones and their flat out rapid introduction of other mobile devices have really ramped up lately and it bodes well for their stock among the consumers. The playbook is just one more example of this. And their willingness to showcase the Playbook in a comparison video against their competition is another example of RIM putting their money where their mouth is. So enjoy the video. It is rather good. And it does a great job of showing where the Playbook excels vs the IPAD.

Syncing your Blackberry calendar with Google and Outlook

So you want to get all your calendars back on speaking terms again? It is actually easier than one might think. And if your an avid calendar user like I am, then this is one of the more important setup items you will want to take. The other major advantage to using this method, even if you do not really have a need for a Google calendar in your mix of calendars, is that this method will allow you to sync your Blackberry and your Outlook calendars OTA (Over The Air). So even if your just looking to sync Outlook with your Blackberry. Doing this will eliminate any need for cords or wires. That makes all this worth the effort. Off we go.

First things first. What you will need to have setup prior to taking any of these steps will be:

• MS Outlook with a working email account and calendar.
• A Google account with a Gmail address and a Google calendar associated with that email address.
• Your Blackberry (any device model). Also be familiar with the calendar and how it works.

Moving forward - There are two pieces of software that you will need to acquire. Both are free and easy to download. Here are the links for the downloads:

Google Calendar Sync download (for PC)

Mobile Phone Google Sync download

The second link you can use directly from here if your viewing this on your mobile phone. Otherwise you will just have to get ton your browser on your Blackberry and type in the following address to your address bar: http://m.google.com/sync  and in doing so you will be directed to the download for the mobile sync app for google. Now on to the next steps.

Once those two are downloaded and installed onto your PC and Blackberry respectively, we move on to the setup of each. First the Google Sync software on your PC. Go to the following link and follow the very simple instructions on the setup of this software.

Click here for instructions on the setup of Google Sync for your PC.

Next is the mobile Google app. Again, very simple. Once downloaded you will of course need to set it up to sync the proper calendar. The link below will instruct you on how to do that as well as other setup options. Once you have all that preliminary stuff handled then we can move forward with making it all work the way it needs to in order to sync all your calendars - Google/Blackberry/Outlook.

Click here for instructions on the setup of Google Sync for your Blackberry.

So at this point you should have all the necessary software downloaded and installed. You should also have a calendar setup and running for all 3 devices (Outlook Calendar - Blackberry Calendar - Google Calendar). Now you can focus on getting all three talking to each other. Remember, the point of all this is to eliminate any wires and to ultimately get your Blackberry to sync with Outlook OTA, and you use the Google Calendar to facilitate this. The process will work like this: Outlook will sync with Google using the Google Sync software you downloaded for the PC. Then you will sync your Blackberry with your Google calendar using the Google Sync app as instructed by the link above. So if all had been set up properly then it will all work just as it should. And you will have all three communicating. So anything you put into you Outlook calendar will hit your Google Calendar and in turn show up on your Blackberry calendar soon thereafter. And wouldn't you know it, it all works in reverse too.. haha...

One thing you will have to make sure of however is to adjust the times for the sync operations so they occur to your liking. I have everything syncing within about every hour. Any longer then that and I fear certain changes or additions I make will not be on my other calendars quick enough in case I need to take off from the PC for a while. Because when that is the case, I have to force a manual sync operation. Which just like anything else is not all that complicated.

That is basically it. Follow the instructions at the links provided and you will be all together. Once done and if used consistently you will never have any excuse for missing all those things your wife wants you to do. Sadly this is a drawback to having a calendar system that works so well. Especially if she figures out she can invite you to events on her calendar such as that dreaded Tupperware or jewelry party.

Your calendar - it can be a life saver, if you use it properly!

Alot of people seem to not realize all that their Blackberry can do. The "SmartPhone" age has been here for some time now. But an alarming amount of people still just use their Blackberry as a phone only. Seems like a waste does it not? But one of the most useful and versatile functions or features of a smartphone or Blackberry in this case, is the calendar. Having the ability to schedule events, notify you of an upcoming event, record notes and memos about an event and to integrate an events information with almost everything else the phone does is absolutely indispensable.

Having a calendar is great and all, but if you do not know how to use it and how to integrate it with the other Blackberry features then you are missing out on roughly 75% of the calendars advantages. I will use myself as an example. Originally in the days before I had my first Blackberry, I would use a "Daytimer". It is basically a leather binder with daily, weekly, and monthly calendar sheets within on which I would record my upcoming events, appointments, meetings, etc.. It worked fantastic. However it was quite time consuming trying to write down everything as it occurred or as it became something I would need to remember. And as far as reminders go you can forget it. Unless I was already looking in the binder I would have almost no chance of noticing a future event was coming soon.

After that came finally utilizing the calendar and notes feature within Outlook. I had always used Outlook for my email but always saw the calendar part of Outlook as a nuisance. When I finally came to my senses I began using Outlooks calendar feature with reckless abandon. I would schedule everything in it. Having the ability to get audible and visual reminders on my computer became priceless. The strange thing is that even though I was fully using Outlook and all its scheduling features I just could not get rid of that damn leather binder. Something about actually writing the events and appointments I guess. But I moved on and only used the binder sparingly as Outlook became my major appointment calendar.

Moving on as time did the same, I got my first Blackberry. After acclimation myself to all of the Blackberry's features I found time to start studying the calendar and all that it could do. I was in love. Not because the Blackberry calendar was leaps and bounds better than everything else I have been using, but because of the mobility I now had with my scheduling. I was able to use my calendars that I was already using and at full functionality. But better yet, I was able to synchronize all that with what was going in with my Blackberry! I was going to be "ever-connected" to anything going on in my life!

At this point I was looking for a simple way to sync these calendars. Of course I could always use Blackberry's Desktop Manager to sync my phone with Outlook. It was a simple process of course, but I much preferred something wireless. Because that made it even simpler yet and opened the possibility to sync no matter where I was. To accomplish this I had to start a Google calendar. Which again, is a simple thing to do. So now, if you have been following along I have 3 calendars in action. Outlook - Blackberry - Google. The goal is to get all three of these talking to each other so they all have the same info and whenever something is changed I am able to have this change be reflected on all calendars and fast! To see how I did it and to have a quick reference on doing this - see the next post on the subject entitled: Syncing your Blackberry Calendar with Google and Outlook.

Clarification on free Playbook for Developers....

After much excitement about the free Playbook promotion by RIM - clarification was made regarding said promotion to ensure that there was no confusion....

There has been a lot of excitement about the BlackBerry PlayBook developer promotion announced by Mike Lazaridis at Adobe MAX this week. Further details about the promotion will be posted on our developer site as soon as possible, but the plan is to provide one free BlackBerry PlayBook to every registered vendor with a BlackBerry App World-approved AIR application that is available for the BlackBerry PlayBook prior to launch. The applications will need to meet the BlackBerry App World Vendor Guidelines and there will of course be some terms and conditions that are principally designed to prevent abuse of the promotion, but the intent is to reward developers who are working on apps in advance of the product launch. We'll keep you posted. Now get building those apps! 

And there you have it. Hopefully the fact that there is some "fine print" won't deter developers from giving this a go. Lets see what people come up with... good luck..

Blackberry Playbook - Want a free one!?!

That's right! RIM is giving away free Playbooks! What better way to promote a brand new device than to give them away for free! Of course, not just anyone can grab one of these toys. In order to get one of these nifty little gadgets you have to be a Blackberry Developer. So to get yours, you have to Develope a Blackberry App for the Playbook and have it accepted for Appworld. If you can accomplish this, you will get a Playbook for free!

Sure would be nice if there was another way to get one, but RIM is killing two birds with one stone here. By using such a promotion, they are not only re-igniting the Developers and putting a fire in their rear, but they are getting some much needed recognition for the Playbook. Of course Apple did a good job of that themselves by talkin smack about the device. But RIM will take all it can get. Any new device can always use some promotional help to get some units out there. Keep an eye out for these hitting the ground soon. I don't think it will take all too long for RIM to get these out there and gain some market share away from the Ipad. We will have to watch and see what happens. Especially with the Holiday season fast approaching.

TSN Mobile to Blackberry, Finally!

The number one Iphone sports news app is finally making its way to the Blackberry platform. It may be just in "beta" form at the moment, but so far I have not experienced any ill effects from the app. Installation was flawless and so far using the app has not produced any negative effects either.

If your looking for score updates and news on any of the major sports (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, Etc...) then TSN Mobile is just the app you need. Personally, I still keep around my THN (The Hockey News) for my NHL info, but TSN is a good addition to my sports folder. Give it a whirl, you wont be disappointed.

Click the banner above to install the MobiHand appstore on your Blackberry and then download anything you want from that, or just hit the OTA link below for TSN Mobile. Enjoy peeps!

TSN Mobile OTA Download link

Blackberry OS: Official or leaked - what is your preference?

Every so often an un-official release of an operating system for any one of the various devices will surface. For those who may have just started using a Blackberry, these un-official releases are often referred to as a "Leaked OS". People working with RIM or various cell service providers routinely come in contact with these software packages while in the development process and "keep" a copy for themselves. Then they usually distribute these amongst their circle of friends or websites and it eventually makes its way all over the net.

The problem with these leaked software packages is that they are unfinished. Largely, these Operating System files get distributed before they have had a chance to be reviewed for bugs and other errors. However, when these files are distributed they are usually done so through web sites that offer support and various user input to help people get through the problems that these leaked OS'es come with. So is it worth it? Sometimes it can be. You have to remember that for all the errors and problems that may come with these packages, they also offer new features and possible fixes to a previous versions errors. This in itself gets people excited and has them actively searching for such files.

Once an operating System goes official and is released, you generally have a very clean and very operable software package. These are usually what is released by various service providers. Problem is that people generally don't like waiting for these releases. Hence the market for leaks.

There are many sites that offer Blackberry support, tips, tricks and leaks. The best by far (in my opinion) can be found at Crackberry

Crackberry offers a very wide variety of news and support along with a very good section in their forums for leaks and leak support. Give them a look-see I think you will be pleasantly suprised by what you find there. In the leaks game there are many players, but the key is finding a place that also offers support for such software packages. Because without it you will be left with unfinished software that causes more problems than it fixes. And if that is the situation you find yourself in then it defeats the purpose completely.

Official Launch of Blackberry Appworld storefront

Research In Motion finally has enabled online purchases from their browser supported storefront. What exactly does this mean for you? Well, put simply, it means that you can now purchase apps for your blackberry from your pc. Keeping with Blackberrys "do everything" mantra, giving people more options for getting their hands on popular apps is just what the doctor ordered. For the most part, anything you could do from your mobile Appworld connection you can do from your pc. Purchase apps, write reviews, and access your MyWorld information - everything!

To get started with the webstore follow the link below and install the browser plug-ins when prompted. After that your on your way to a faster, smoother intergration of Appworld into your lives.

Click here to get started with the BB Appworld Webstore...

Blackberry support and more.

As some of you may know, we here at AU are have been staunch Blackberry supporters for some time now. As such, it only seems appropriate to bring our Blackberry knowledge and news to our new supporters and followers here at Aggregate Universe! So stay tuned and soon you will start to see more and mor Blackberry news, links, downloads and more! We might even throw a contest or two in the mix just because everyone loves a good contest. Not to mention the fun factor!

So keep watching for this and much more...