The team over at Engadget posted a cool video showing a “QNX Car” concept. The QNX Car is connected to a few devices including the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, a Bold 9700 and an iPhone. With QNX’s platform independent implementation, each connected device can display info, apps and media through the car’s dashboard or center console.

The QNX Car uses Terminal Mode to replicate the PlayBook’s user interface and Message Access Protocol Bluetooth to pull data from the Bold 9700. While connected, the PlayBook also has a good amount of control over the car’s functions including changing the climate control settings. Pretty cool stuff. I’d say RIM’s acquisition of QNX was definitely a smart move. Check out the video below!

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Over the weekend RIM posted a bunch more videos of their coverage for CES 2011. As I’ve mentioned a few times already, RIM’s primary focus was to promote the features and capabilities of their upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. So far we’ve seen a Skype app is on its way to the PlayBook, Q&A with PlayBook Product Manager Ryan Bidan, reviews, previews, hands on and more.

For some more BlackBerry coverage from CES including info on development, a tour of RIM’s CES booth, a demo of apps, multimedia and the BlackBerry Bridge, testimonials and more, check out the videos below!

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A few days ago I posted the first picture of the BlackBerry App World running on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, taken at CES 2011. At first glance there doesn’t seem to be anything special other than this being the first image showing the App World on the PlayBook, but a friend of mine pointed something out that will surely excite many of you. If you look at the image above you’ll notice it shows a bunch of applications like BBM, MSN Messenger, Facebook and others, but it turns out the PlayBook will also be getting a Skype application.

Considering a dedicated Skype app has only been available for BlackBerry smartphones on the Verizon Wireless network, this is a significant development. While this doesn’t mean the Skype app will be available on smartphones not on Verizon’s network anytime soon, at least PlayBook owners will be able to enjoy video chatting/conferencing since distribution isn’t limited to certain carriers.

Knowing that Skype will be available on the PlayBook tablet, would you get it if certain BlackBerry apps were only available for the PlayBook, or are you getting it regardless?

The team over at Inside BlackBerry yesterday posted their last video from CES 2011. This video shows the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet Product Manager, Ryan Bidan, answering some popular questions sent in by readers as well as comments about CES. The Q&A includes:

• Do you need a BlackBerry to get a PlayBook?
• An explanation of BlackBerry Bridge
• Will we be seeing apps like those on the BlackBerry, on the PlayBook?
• What is Ryan Bidan’s favorite reaction or moment to the PlayBook during CES?

For the answers and more detail check out the video below!

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One of the most popular BlackBerry PlayBook related questions I’ve been asked is “how will the BlackBerry App World look on the PlayBook?”. Thanks to an image from the guys over at CrackBerry, we now have our first look at the App World running on RIM’s first BlackBerry tablet device.

The version of the App World for the PlayBook is very different from the one running on BlackBerry smartphones. Just as well, we’d expect anything on the PlayBook with its QNX OS to be way better than apps running on the BlackBerry OS. Unfortunately not much else is known about App World on the PlayBook but I’m sure more info will turn up soon, maybe even some videos.

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Since I was unable to attend CES 2011 I figured I’d do a roundup of all the BlackBerry PlayBook news so BBRocks! readers don’t miss out. We still have yet to hear anything solid about the future of BlackBerry smartphones and since CES finishes up this weekend, the PlayBook might be RIM’s only focus for this event. RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis did talk about their plans for a BlackBerry “super phone” but that’s about it.

Fortunately there’s plenty of interest in the BlackBerry PlayBook and now plenty of reviews, previews and hands on articles to go through. I was able to put together a roundup of 20 links for articles containing impressions, photos and videos about the PlayBook. Keep in mind this roundup of articles is limited to what was available at CES so while many of them may be similar, they each have their own impressions and questions answered.

Check out the roundup below and let me know what you think in the comments!

REVIEWS, PREVIEWS & HANDS ON ROUNDUP!

In an interview with PCMag at CES, RIM Co-CEO Mike Lazaridis went into some detail about their plans for a BlackBerry “super phone”. We knew this was coming because a RIM VP said so back at DEVCON 2010, but we haven’t heard much about it since. Essentially, BlackBerry smartphones will run a cut-down version of the OS running on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Here are the details:

Lazaridis told me that the phones are coming, that they’ll be based on dual-core processors with RIM’s new QNX OS, and that the interface will look a lot like a shrunken-down PlayBook tablet (which, in turn, actually looks a lot like BlackBerry 6.) Future QNX devices also may eventually run existing BlackBerry Java apps as well, Lazaridis said, ensuring a smooth transition between the platforms.

That means developers may end up with three possible ways to code for the PlayBook, by the way. They could use an existing Java app (when that support becomes available), write apps in Adobe Air, or write native apps for the tablet using OpenGL.

Unfortunately it looks like it will take some time for BlackBerry smartphones to transition to the QNX OS. According to the article, RIM has a long-term plan for the next ten years. Seeing the PlayBook Tablet OS in action is very exciting and even more so when you think of it running on a BlackBerry smartphone, but I’m a bit disappointed in the time frame. What do you think?

For more info as well as a Q&A head on over to the PCMag article.

So far the only news from CES coming from RIM is about the BlackBerry Playbook, but that’s okay. Earlier today they announced a 4G PlayBook is headed to Sprint. Hopefully RIM will announce something about the future of the BlackBerry Smartphone OS on the QNX OS.

I didn’t notice this before but RIM recently uploaded 3 new videos of the PlayBook. The videos seem to be commercials which will air on TV and each focus on a different features of the BlackBerry tablet. Check them out below!

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