play books

Looking for free, reliable cloud storage? Dropbox offers 2GB, while SugarSync gives you 5GB. Microsoft's SkyDrive raises the stakes even higher with 25GB, though for the moment it lacks any official companion apps.

Not enough? Check out Box, which is currently offering 50GB of free cloud storage to Android users who install the Box app on their smartphone or tablet. (The promotion also extends to owners of the HP TouchPad, RIM PlayBook, and other devices. See the FAQ page for details.)

Although Box positions itself primarily as a provider of business storage solutions, this deal is for personal use … Read more

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

commentary The PlayBook tablet can finally access corporate e-mail. Hallelujah, right?

No, don't expect the legion of BlackBerry faithful to flock to the PlayBook, now that it has the one key feature everybody said Research In Motion should have included in its tablet in the first place. At this point, even the most ardent fan has to admit that this product has been nothing but a disappointment.

RIM is hoping that the release of its PlayBook 2.0 software will spark demand for its troubled tablet. The updated operating system includes an integrated e-mail in-box, a calendar and contacts … Read more

Research In Motion's BlackBerry PlayBook OS 1.0 was criticized for a general lack of built-in features. With a new software update, the BlackBerry maker is trying to address that.

RIM today announced the launch of its BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. The operating system includes many of the features users were hoping to find in the last version, including a native e-mail client with a unified inbox, and built-in calendar and contacts applications.

The company made the odd decision in the first version of the software to not include native e-mail, calendar, or contacts applications. In order for … Read more

A couple weeks back I wrote that RIM had once again cut BlackBerry PlayBook prices, with the 16GB model down to just $199. My question at the time: Was it worth buying at that price?

My feeling was that the PlayBook faced an uncertain future, and therefore might not be the best choice.

Man, did I get an earful. PlayBook owners are a vocal and passionate bunch, and they rightly noted that the tablet does have GPS, while a forthcoming OS update promises to open the door to Android app compatibility--which is a big deal.

And speaking of deals, that … Read more

BlackBerry PlayBook users eager for the long-awaited 2.0 upgrade could get their wishes answered next week.

The new OS is expected to launch February 21, according to blogging site N4BB, relying on intel from its own sources. The confirmation followed previous "rumblings" pointing to that date for the launch.

Canadian blog site Mobile Syrup also added its take by revealing an upcoming Best Buy flyer listing the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 upgrade as arriving in February. The flyer is due to hit the public on Friday and stretch out for one week, hinting that the new … Read more

Lately, Research In Motion has seemed determined to push out more of the BlackBerry PlayBooks it has lying around, even if it means literally giving them away.

There are still a few days left on a special deal announced by RIM's developer relations head Alec Saunders via Twitter--the company is giving away a free 16GB PlayBook to every developer who converts their Android app to be compatible with and available for the PlayBook.

The Android app needs to be ported and submitted to BlackBerry App World prior to the February 13 deadline to get the free tablet. … Read more

Last summer, when HP discontinued the WebOS-powered TouchPad and fire-sold its remaining inventory, buyers went ape. Apparently a 10-inch tablet for $99 was too good to pass up--never mind the fact that app development was about to grind to a halt.

RIM's 7-inch BlackBerry PlayBook is likely to suffer a similar fate, which begs the question: is it worth owning if you can get it for cheap?

Your inevitable next question: how cheap? RIM's newly slashed PlayBook prices are as follows: $199 for the 16GB model, $249 for the 32GB model, and $299 for the 64GB model.

This … Read more

Research In Motion is prepping a slimmed-down product lineup for this year, as it puts its resources behind its next-generation BlackBerrys coming in the second half, according to an apparently leaked product lineup.

RIM plans to release two BlackBerry Curves in the next few months, Boy Genius Report said in a report today. In addition, BGR said, the company plans to launch a slightly tweaked PlayBook tablet.

The main debut event will come in the second half of the year, according to the report. RIM has its first BlackBerry 10 smartphone, code-named London, on track for a September launch, according … Read more