The RIM BlackBerry PlayBook tablet will be getting Facebook and video chat apps in the next month, giving owners two of their most wanted demands.
RIM says the FB app was built specifically for the PlayBook’s larger screen, working off the BlackBerry’s popular smartphone app.
As is standard, the app will allow for watching videos and viewing photos, using FB chat, commenting/liking, and viewing other friend’s profiles.
Says RIM’s social networking boss:
There are over 30 million users of our Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones app who are staying in touch with their social network while on the go. Now with Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook we can also offer customers highly engaging social experiences optimized for the PlayBook, including the ability to share FaceBook pictures and videos with friends and family on an HDTV.
Giving users a native video chat app (like FaceTime for iOS), PlayBook owners can use Wi-Fi and the built-in 5MP front-side camera to video or voice chat with other PlayBook owners.
Adds the company:
BlackBerry is a renowned mobile communication solution for connecting users to the people and information that matter most throughout their day. With the BlackBerry PlayBook Video Chat application we are excited to be enabling our customers to share important moments and events with family and friends via video calls. With the BlackBerry PlayBook’s high-resolution video cameras and stunning display, a Video Chat call is the next best thing to being there.
Result for: cameras
The RIM Blackberry PlayBook is now on sale in the U.S. and Canada, hitting stores with a mixed bag of critical reviews.
Selling for $499 for a 16GB/Wi-Fi model, RIM is hoping to break into the tablet market dominated by the Apple iPad.
The PlayBook features the standard 1GHz dual-core processor and 1GB RAM but its real differentiating factor is its Internet experience. The browser has support for Adobe Flash, Adobe AIR, and HMTL 5 and many reviews say it is the best browser on a tablet, ever.
Additionally, the PlayBook has a 7-inch screen, 1024×600 resolution, dual cameras, a microHDMI port and the BlackBerry App World, which has thousands of apps.
Models with 4G access will be available during the summer.
Result for: cameras
Japanese chip maker Renesas, which merged with electronics maker NEC in 2010, has announced it will be integrating 16MP cameras in future handsets.
The CE150 image-processing system chip “will make it possible to produce 16MP phone cameras for the first time, up from the maximum 13MP that are currently available,” explains Crunch.
Users will also be able to use the cameras to shoot 1080p Full HD video.
Renesas showed off a phone camera processor capable of such a feat in December 2008.
The company will begin mass-producing in March, with up to 1 million units being produced each month.
Sample units are available to handset makers for $48, now.
