BlackBerry Theme Studio 6 has an official release. This latest incarnation of BlackBerry’s free suite of design tools, which includes BlackBerry Theme Builder and BlackBerry Composer was made available earlier this week after several months of Beta testing. Those who downloaded the Theme Studio 6 Beta releases will find the same [...]]]>

BlackBerry Theme Studio

BlackBerry Theme Studio 6 has an official release. This latest incarnation of BlackBerry’s free suite of design tools, which includes BlackBerry Theme Builder and BlackBerry Composer was made available earlier this week after several months of Beta testing. Those who downloaded the Theme Studio 6 Beta releases will find the same highly intuitive user interface introduced in those versions, which allowed theme developers to edit graphics, icons and backgrounds quicker and easier than ever before. Along with a complete overhaul of the UI, Theme Studio 6 incorporates a new Background Wizard allowing for easy customization of dynamic wallpapers with options for changing images based on date and/or time. New and extended batch processing capabilities along with greater compatibility with other design tools also contribute to a better user experience and faster theme building. Perhaps best of all Theme Studio 6 now covers all BlackBerry devices ranging from the 9800 Torch on down to the 8100 Pearl and with options to export every OS from 4.5 on up, we finally can bid a fond farewell to our old Theme Studio 5 software. This is hands down the best version of BlackBerry Theme Studio to date! Thank you BlackBerry for some great free software, now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to build a theme.

» Download BlackBerry Theme Studio 6.

Attention developers, the BlackBerry Partners Fund has launched the 2011 BlackBerry Developer Challenge and is now accepting submissions for the first competition in the challenge, Best Flash/AIR Mobile App for BlackBerry PlayBook. The challenge focuses on finding the best apps by platform and technology globally and includes the following competitions:

“BlackBerry PlayBook becomes a new market opportunity for all the developers who have already created over 25,000 BlackBerry Java apps and more than 200,000 Android apps”

Today via press release, Research In Motion (RIM) confirmed recent rumors regarding the ability of the BlackBerry [...]]]>

Android Apps Coming soon to a BlackBerry PlayBook near you!

“BlackBerry PlayBook becomes a new market opportunity for all the developers who have already created over 25,000 BlackBerry Java apps and more than 200,000 Android apps”

Today via press release, Research In Motion (RIM) confirmed recent rumors regarding the ability of the BlackBerry PlayBook to support Java and Android apps! This is great news for Android App Developers looking to expand their applications to a significantly larger audience and should be music to the ears of BlackBerry Tablet and Smartphone users who will, without doubt enjoy a much broader selection of BlackBerry Apps joining BlackBerry App World in the near future. Check out the press release below for all the details.

Press Release:

WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – March 24, 2011) - Developers wanting to bring their new and existing apps to the highly anticipated BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet will soon have additional tools and options to enhance and expand their commercial opportunities. Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced plans to greatly expand the application ecosystem for the BlackBerry PlayBook. The BlackBerry PlayBook is scheduled to launch in the U.S. and Canada on April 19.

RIM will launch two optional “app players” that provide an application run-time environment for BlackBerry Java® apps and Android v2.3 apps. These new app players will allow users to download BlackBerry Java apps and Android apps from BlackBerry App World and run them on their BlackBerry PlayBook.

In addition, RIM will shortly release the native SDK for the BlackBerry PlayBook enabling C/C++ application development on the BlackBerry® Tablet OS. For game-specific developers, RIM is also announcing that it has gained support from two leading game development tooling companies, allowing developers to use the cross-platform game engines from Ideaworks Labs and Unity Technologies to bring their games to the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Support for BlackBerry Java and Android Apps

“The BlackBerry PlayBook is an amazing tablet. The power that we have embedded creates one of the most compelling app experiences available in a mobile computing device today,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion. “The upcoming addition of BlackBerry Java and Android apps for the BlackBerry PlayBook on BlackBerry App World will provide our users with an even greater choice of apps and will also showcase the versatility of the platform.”

Developers currently building for the BlackBerry or Android platforms will be able to quickly and easily port their apps to run on the BlackBerry Tablet OS thanks to a high degree of API compatibility. The new optional app players will be available for download from BlackBerry App World and will be placed in a secure “sandbox” on the BlackBerry PlayBook where the BlackBerry Java or Android apps can be run.

Developers will simply repackage, code sign and submit their BlackBerry Java and Android apps to BlackBerry App World. Once approved, the apps will be distributed through BlackBerry App World, providing a new opportunity for many developers to reach BlackBerry PlayBook users. Users will be able to download both the app players and the BlackBerry Java and Android apps from BlackBerry App World.

The BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry Tablet OS are built on the QNX® Neutrino® microkernel architecture with a 1GHz dual core processor and a leading OpenGL solution, which allows RIM to make this incredibly broad platform support possible.

BlackBerry PlayBook users and developers who are interested in seeing the new app players for BlackBerry Java and Android apps can see demos at BlackBerry World in Orlando, Florida (May 3 to 5, 2011) (www.blackberryworld.com).

BlackBerry Tablet OS Development Tools

The BlackBerry Tablet OS already supports an incredibly robust platform with support for Web development standard HTML5, through the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ SDK for Tablet OS, and Adobe® AIR®, through the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR. The BlackBerry Tablet OS is built from the ground up to run WebKit and Adobe® Flash® as well, giving developers a fast and true Web experience to leverage.

RIM is also announcing today that the BlackBerry Tablet OS Native Development Kit (NDK), which is currently in limited alpha release, will go into open Beta by this summer and be demonstrated at BlackBerry World. The BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK will allow developers to build high-performance, multi-threaded, native C/C++ applications with industry standard GNU toolchains. Developers can create advanced 2D and 3D applications and special effects by leveraging programmable shaders available in hardware-accelerated OpenGL ES 2.0.

Other features of the BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK will allow developers to:

• Take advantage of the QNX POSIX library support and C/C++ compliance for quick and easy application porting and for creating native extensions for both BlackBerry and Android applications
• Easily integrate device events like gesture swipes and touch screen inputs
• Integrate the BlackBerry Tablet OS environment into existing code management and build systems using industry standard Eclipse CDT (C/C++ Development Tools)
• Leverage work done in standard C/C++ to make it easier to bring applications to the BlackBerry Tablet OS
• Find and fix bugs quickly with provided debug and analysis tools

“The response to the BlackBerry PlayBook from the developer community has been exceptional. Our commitment to supporting HTML5 and Adobe AIR development has resonated and spurred developers to create fun and innovative applications for BlackBerry PlayBook users,” said David Yach, Chief Technology Officer, Software at Research In Motion. “The upcoming BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK beta will add C/C++ tools to our repertoire and gives developers one of the broadest and deepest platforms to develop on.”

Gaming Engines

Building on the power of the BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK, RIM is working with leading gaming and application development technology providers such as Ideaworks Labs and Unity Technologies to implement their native engines and application development platforms. Developers will be able to take advantage of these engines when building games and other applications for the BlackBerry PlayBook.

The Ideaworks Labs Airplay SDK is expected to include support for the BlackBerry Tablet OS soon, making it easy for publishers and developers to use their existing code to bring their games and apps to the BlackBerry PlayBook.

“Supporting a new OS can be a challenge for developers,” says Alex Caccia, President of Ideaworks Labs, “however, integration of the BlackBerry Tablet OS with the Airplay SDK makes this a non-issue. We think this is a far-sighted move by RIM: the BlackBerry PlayBook is a great device for games and applications, and combining this with content distribution via BlackBerry App World brings an exciting new ecosystem for developers.”

RIM has also been working closely with Unity Technologies, providers of the highly popular, multi-platform Unity development platform and Union, the firm’s games distribution service. Through Union, dozens of high-quality Unity-authored games are slated to make their way to BlackBerry App World for the BlackBerry Playbook.

“With a sharp focus on the multimedia experience, very powerful hardware, and fantastic games in the pipeline, the BlackBerry Playbook has all the right ingredients to be a mainstream hit,” said Brett Seyler, GM of Union at Unity Technologies. “Through Union, Unity developers have an opportunity to reach a new audience and grow with another great new platform.”

Availability

The new app players for the BlackBerry PlayBook are expected to be available from BlackBerry App World this summer. More information and demonstrations of the new app players will be shared at BlackBerry World. The BlackBerry Tablet OS NDK will be available in beta later this year and will also be showcased at BlackBerry World.

Useful Links

For more information on the BlackBerry Tablet OS and BlackBerry PlayBook developing, visit http://us.blackberry.com/developers/tablet/

To see the BlackBerry Tablet OS in action running conceptual applications from The Astonishing Tribe, please visit http://www.youtube.com/blackberry#p/c/8D8C3A23664E6761/5/uH7NKhNyygw and http://www.youtube.com/blackberry#p/c/8D8C3A23664E6761/0/mWJG-sB7H4Y.

For RIM insights into developing for the BlackBerry Platform, visit http://devblog.blackberry.com or follow @BlackBerryDev on Twitter.

Visit the BlackBerry Developer Zone at www.blackberry.com/developers for the latest news, information and updates for BlackBerry developers.

Visit the BlackBerry Developer Video Library at www.blackberry.com/go/developervideolibrary to view a variety of instructional videos.

Sign up for the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter at http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/newsletter.jsp.

For the latest news and information about the BlackBerry Developer Conference visit www.blackberrydeveloperconference.com.

BlackBerry DEVCON 2011 is on it’s way and the call for speakers and session presenters is now open. BlackBerry is looking for strong public speakers that have sound knowledge specifically centered in the Web, Mobile App and BlackBerry development genera. Ideal candidates include Development Managers, Software Developers, Architects and Testing/QA Managers [...]]]>

BlackBerry DEVCON 2011

BlackBerry DEVCON 2011 is on it’s way and the call for speakers and session presenters is now open. BlackBerry is looking for strong public speakers that have sound knowledge specifically centered in the Web, Mobile App and BlackBerry development genera. Ideal candidates include Development Managers, Software Developers, Architects and Testing/QA Managers that can cover topics such as Adobe Flash and Adobe AIR, BlackBerry Java SDK 6.0, Native C/C++,  BlackBerry WebWorks/Web Development and other developer tools and platforms as well. If you would like to find out more about BlackBerry DEVCON 2011 check out the official DEVCON 2011 page and if your interested in participating as a speaker or presenter this year make sure to head over to the Call for Papers page and submit your entry today.

Great news BlackBerry theme developers and users rocking OS6 on their devices, BlackBerry Theme Studio 6, which was due to officially release this week has jumped the gun a bit and been leaked online. This updated version of Theme Builder and Composer add support for BlackBerry Bold 9700, Style 9630 [...]]]>

Theme Builder 6 Leaked!

Great news BlackBerry theme developers and users rocking OS6 on their devices, BlackBerry Theme Studio 6, which was due to officially release this week has jumped the gun a bit and been leaked online. This updated version of Theme Builder and Composer add support for BlackBerry Bold 9700, Style 9630 and 9650, Curve 9300, Pearl 9100 and of course Torch 9800 devices. While the software is still branded as ‘beta’ this release is running really nicely for me so far and has taken a huge leap forward from Theme Studio 5, offering among other things a more intuitive user interface and overall much faster experience. As a long time user of BlackBerry Theme Studio I truly think this is best version of the software to date and can’t wait to dig in further. Follow the link below to download this new version, you’ll be glad you did!

UPDATE: >> Grab the Official BlackBerry Theme Studio 6 Beta 2 update here

>> Download BlackBerry Theme Studio 6

Today BlackBerry App World took a major leap forward by launching an online version of it’s already popular on-device app store.  The new online storefront will offer BlackBerry users the ability to download and purchase apps directly from the website and will allow customers to read and write [...]]]>

BlackBerry App World Storefront Now Online

Today BlackBerry App World took a major leap forward by launching an online version of it’s already popular on-device app store.  The new online storefront will offer BlackBerry users the ability to download and purchase apps directly from the website and will allow customers to read and write reviews, rate products and sync downloads directly to their smartphones.  Head on over to the new online version of BlackBerry App World to see more of what’s new.

>> Visit BlackBerry App World

The good news for BlackBerry developers just keeps on coming today as BlackBerry Theme Studio v6.0 beta has just been made available for download from BlackBerry’s official developers page. This first beta release of Theme Studio 6.0 offers an improved UI making it easier for both new and current [...]]]>

BlackBerry Theme Studio 6.0 Beta

The good news for BlackBerry developers just keeps on coming today as BlackBerry Theme Studio v6.0 beta has just been made available for download from BlackBerry’s official developers page. This first beta release of Theme Studio 6.0 offers an improved UI making it easier for both new and current users to create themes, allows for direct manipulation of theme elements in the preview screen and also offers the ability to select multiple elements and change them with a single click. Theme Studio v6.0 beta currently only supports the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and BlackBerry 6 OS, it is recommended for experienced users who want to experiment with the latest BlackBerry technology and don’t require a full set of documentation. If you are new to theme development then you will want to download the current stable release of BlackBerry Theme Studio 5.0 SP1. But if your like me and have been itching to dig in to the latest and greatest from BlackBerry then don’t wait, go and download this beta version and start having some fun.

>> Download BlackBerry Theme Studio v6.0 Beta

Today RIM announced that BlackBerry developers will now be able to integrate various functions of the BBM service into their applications including chat capabilities, content sharing, and invitations. This new ability to access BlackBerry Messenger’s unique social platform will allow developers to design their apps to not only function [...]]]>

BlackBerry Messenger App Integration

Today RIM announced that BlackBerry developers will now be able to integrate various functions of the BBM service into their applications including chat capabilities, content sharing, and invitations. This new ability to access BlackBerry Messenger’s unique social platform will allow developers to design their apps to not only function for one user on one device but to build apps that encourage sharing on a multitude of levels. Some of the more intriguing BBM functionality accessible to developers through the BBM Social Platform include:

• Contact list – allows users to choose from their BBM contacts from within another application in order to initiate social interactions such as chatting or initiating game play
• BBM user profile – an application can insert application status updates into the user’s BBM profile allowing it to be launched or downloaded from BBM by the user’s friends
• Application-specific communities – users can create BBM friend groups specific to an application
• Data Transfer – allows users to transfer pictures, audio, video and other content directly from an application to their BBM contacts or groups
• Invitations – allows users to invite new friends to BBM, invite their friends to interact within or download an application, and accept invitations, all from within an application

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA–(Marketwire – Sept. 27, 2010) – BlackBerry DEVCON 2010 – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ:RIMM)(TSX:RIM) today announced the BBM™ (BlackBerry® Messenger) Social Platform, giving developers the tools to build applications that take advantage of the social aspects of the popular BBM service.

“The BlackBerry developer community has been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to integrate BlackBerry Messenger with their apps. BBM is a very popular service with over 28 million users and opening its real-time social connectivity to third party applications presents incredible opportunities,” said Alan Brenner, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Platform at Research In Motion. “Access to BBM services from within apps will revolutionize gaming, enhance multimedia experiences, and add a new dimension to location based applications.”

Developers will be able to integrate various functions of the BBM service into their applications including chat capabilities, content sharing, and invitations. For example, users will be able to invite their BBM friends to join them in a game and then chat with one another while the game is being played.

Other BBM functionality accessible to developers through the BBM Social Platform includes:

• Contact list – allows users to choose from their BBM contacts from within another application in order to initiate social interactions such as chatting or initiating game play
• BBM user profile – an application can insert application status updates into the user’s BBM profile allowing it to be launched or downloaded from BBM by the user’s friends
• Application-specific communities – users can create BBM friend groups specific to an application
• Data Transfer – allows users to transfer pictures, audio, video and other content directly from an application to their BBM contacts or groups
• Invitations – allows users to invite new friends to BBM, invite their friends to interact within or download an application, and accept invitations, all from within an application

Through the BBM Social Platform, RIM is providing the BlackBerry developer community with the opportunity to leverage the power of BBM in their own applications in order to help drive loyalty to their applications through social and community interactions, as well as increase discoverability of their applications through peer communications and referrals.

Several BlackBerry® Alliance members are already testing the BBM Social Platform as part of an early access program.

“Kik is all about sharing, buying and experiencing music on a mobile platform, so integrating with BBM will deliver huge value to our users,” said Kik CEO Ted Livingston. “Kik users will be able to connect with friends and colleagues to discover and share music, the experience will be much more intimate through BBM.”

“With the new BBM Social Platform we will be able to build a ground breaking social eReading experience,” said Dan Liebu, Chief Technology Officer at Kobo. “We expect to increase engagement as Kobo users share their reading and shopping experiences in real-time.”

“The BBM Social Platform will allow us to bring innovative social features to our games that get friends playing together. Making social connections is a cornerstone to successful casual gaming, and with BBM integration, our fans will be able to easily connect with their friends to compete or cooperate,” said Nick Tremmaglia, Product Manager THK Live, Magmic Games

“The integration of BBM functionality into our leading sports app will be a game-changer for ScoreMobile,” says Benjie Levy, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Score Media Inc. “We expect that embedding key BBM features will deepen user engagement, lengthen visit sessions, and help virally grow ScoreMobile’s user base.”

“Telmap’s search, mapping and navigation solutions have been a huge success in recent years and have proven to be extremely popular with BlackBerry smartphone users. We are proud to be one of the first application developers to integrate with BBM, as we strongly believe that the combination of a community together with Telmap’s expert location capabilities and BBM’s best-in-class messaging solution, will result in a winning offering,” said Motti Kushnir, Telmap CMO.

The BBM Social Platform is expected to be available in the spring of 2011.

Quick Links:

http://www.blackberry.com/developer/bbm

For RIM insights into developing for the BlackBerry Platform, visit http://devblog.blackberry.com or follow @blackberrydev on Twitter.

Visit the BlackBerry Developer Zone at www.blackberry.com/developers for the latest news, information and updates for BlackBerry developers leading up to the conference and throughout the year.

Also, visit the new BlackBerry Developer Video Library at www.blackberry.com/go/developervideolibrary to view a variety of instructional videos.

Sign up for the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter at http://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/resources/newsletter.jsp.

Just a reminder developers! If you’ve been planning on attending BlackBerry DEVCON 2010, (Sept. 27-30) this is your last chance to take advantage of early registration offers and discount hotel packages. Head on over to the official BlackBerry DEVCON site for full details and to register for the BlackBerry developer event of the year.