We’ve been waiting for a good while and today at Research In Motion’s annual BlackBerry Developer Conference, CEO Mike Lazaridis announced the PlayBook. The tablet will use an OS created by the recently acquired QNX, which is called the BlackBerry Tablet OS. It offers full OpenGL and POSIX support along with web standards like HTML5. The company’s founder, Dan Dodge said that “QNX is going to enable things that you have never seen before,” and added that the PlayBook would be “an incredible gaming platform for publishers and the players.”

The PlayBook’s can handle Flash content via Flash 10.1, as well as Adobe AIR apps. It will feature a 7-inch, 1024 x 600, capacitive multitouch display, a Cortex A9-based, dual-core 1GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM, and a 3 megapixel front-facing camera along with a 5 megapixel rear lens. The PlayBook will be capable of 1080p HD video, and comes with an HDMI port as well as a microUSB jack, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and Bluetooth 2.1.

Patent infringement suits are very common and more and more they are being fought in courts in East Texas. The judge in the area is known to side with the patent holders and as a result, cases from all over the country are ending up in the rural Texas courts.

The latest such case is being filed by Klausner Technologies. The firm holds patents that have to do with visual voice mail features. Klausner alleges that the Blackberry bold 9700 and other Blackberry handsets infringe on its patents.

RIM VP Antoine Boucher has confirmed that they are working on a Bluetooth-enabled watch. Supposedly it will be more advanced than the models from Sony Ericsson. It will feature streaming audio, Twitter and Facebook updates as well as all of the usual things like caller ID and text messages.

The image isn’t real btw, that one is a Sony Ericsson MBW-100 with RIM logo. Boucher also talked about a high-end Bluetooth headset codenamed “Alpha 1″ that will let you stream music and get navigation directions through a silicone earpiece, which is apparently “the best solution on the market.”

When it comes to smartphones the Blackberry line form RIM are among the most popular devices out there right next to the iPhone and the hoards of Android devices hitting the market. Blackberry has been busy unveiling new devices lately with the announcement of the Tour this month and now the official unveiling of the Curve 8520.

RIM has announced a new Blackberry smartphone called the Curve 8520. The device is similar to the other Curve smartphones we have seen before with a 2-megapixel camera with video capability, 256MB of flash memory, and a full QWERTY keyboard.

Finally we are getting some solid-looking information on the pricing for the BlackBerry Storm coming soon from Verizon Wireless. Rumors have been flying about pricing being under $200 to keep it competitive with the iPhone and possibly even offering the device for near-free to try and swing some of the smartphone market back to RIM.

As of now the testman site for Verizon is showing the BlackBerry 9530 Storm smartphone priced at $219.99 with a 2-year contract, and at $519.99 if you wanted to buy one outright. $289.99 will get you into the phone with a 1-year contract through Verizon, as well.

The BlackBerry Pearl has been coming out in a number of new colors lately and we had heard earlier this month that the latest will be this new pink model with Verizon. We knew it was coming soon and today Verizon Wireless along with Research In Motion (RIM) announced that the Pearl in Pink is coming to Verizon stores and online starting tomorrow (Friday).

Gone are the days of smartphones lacking style and color according to Verizon as they describe the pink BlackBerry Pearl 8130 as “chic and sophisticated”, and it still packs all the same communication features of it’s bland siblings and Verizon’s tools via the EV-DO network. The pink version, just like the others can browse the web with the Verizon wireless broadband connection, has a speakerphone, 2 megapixel camera, media player, external microSD memory card slot, wireless Bluetooth and that not-quite-QWERTY keyboard.

The new Facebook application from RIM will send out a ping with new notifications and messages and also allow you to scroll through them just like you do in regular email. Plus, the photo upload tool is integrated into the camera and photo software.

You can pretty much do almost anything you can on Facebook, thanks to the onscreen icons. With a touch of your finger, you will be able to invite people to join Facebook and accept new friend requests. Just like that it’s done. No adding them later after you’ve gotten home and forgotten everything. Of course you can also poke someone and write on a Wall.

T-Mobile along with RIM launched a new, upgraded BlackBerry Curve today that not only features Wi-Fi for data but can also connect voice through the Wi-Fi connection via Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) and the HotSpot@Home service. The BlackBerry 8320 can take advantage of both the current EDGE network or a Wi-Fi connection when available, seamlessly switching between the two during a call.

When using UMA, users of the 8320 can talk through a 802.11g wireless home network or public Wi-Fi hotspot without racking up any talk-time minutes as they would through the standard cellular EDGE voice connection. The new Curves from T-Mobile will come in new colors of titanium silver (shown here) or a pale gold (exclusively through T-Mobile) but other than that are pretty much the same as the original BlackBerry Curve. The BlackBerry 8320 has a 2 megapixel camera, media player, microSD expansion slot, full QWERTY keyboard and takes advantage of T-Mobiles myFaves for 5 friends from any carrier.

T-Mobile has launched an additional selection of colors available for the BlackBerry Pearl which are now available through their website. The three new colors available consist of Sunset red, Gold and Blue in addition to the original Black or White 8100 models.

These new versions unfortunately are not the rumored new Pearl 2 models and have changed in color only housing the same features of the original BlackBerry Pearl. The new colors are priced the same as the original going for $300 with a $100 instant discount and a $50 mail-in rebate (with a T-Mobile rate plan).

T-Mobile BlackBerry’s via Gadgetell

Mobile Wi-Fi fans, here is your BlackBerry. Research In Motion (RIM) has now officially launched that new dual-mode smartphone we’ve all been waiting for. The Blackberry 8820 sports the desirable broad connectivity of working on global cellular networks (quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE) as well as 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi networks and it even has GPS built-in.

“The BlackBerry 8820 is an extraordinary business phone for people who really care about mobile communications and productivity. It features all the renowned power and usability of the BlackBerry platform with executive class styling and unprecedented connectivity features, including cellular, Wi-Fi and built-in GPS,” said Mike Lazaridis, RIM President and Co-CEO in the RIM press release.

The 8820 is RIM’s thinnest smartphone yet with a full QWERY keyboard, 320 x 240 display and it supports memory expansion through microSD / microSDHC. The Wi-Fi capabilities …

Here’s another release that just made it within its announced time constraints, launching on the last of the month. RIM and AT&T have announced the official release of the BlackBerry Curve, available through AT&T starting tomorrow, May 31st for a price of $199 with a two year contract and a mail in rebate, of course.

The BlackBerry Curve is the latest, smallest and lightest BlackBerry smart phone with a full QWERTY keyboard that RIM has produced. In fact, AT&T (through a predecessor company) was the first carrier to introduce a BlackBerry wireless solution back in ’99 and is now the first with the Curve. The features available in this phone combined with the price is almost enough to make a guy want to switch carriers.

Press Release

The BlackBerry 8800 is the thinnest BlackBerry handset yet and aims to satisfy everyone by combining important features from the successful BlackBerry 8100 and the business-oriented 8700.

The quad-band GSM/GPRS and EDGE-enabled 8800 provides integrated support for voice and data applications, including phone, email, text messaging, web browser, organizer, multimedia, GPS, and more.

Navigation on the 8800 is accomplished through the full QWERTY keyboard and RIM’s trackball navigation system. The landscape display makes it easy to view emails, attachments, pictures, videos, web pages, business applications, and games. A sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen, keyboard, and trackball in varied lighting environments.

The media player supports MP3 and ACC music files and MPEG4 and H.263 video files. Memory is expandable via microSD cards and the high-capacity battery will give you the great battery life for which BlackBerry handsets are known. Support …

T-Mobile along with Research In Motion (RIM) unveiled a new “Pearl White” BlackBerry Pearl mobile phone yesterday that will be available through T-Mobile.

The white BlackBerry Pearl builds on the already-successful BlackBerry Pearl that comes in piano black and could very likely be jumping on the trend created by Apple with the iPod and recently released iPhone products.

“The BlackBerry Pearl has proven that it’s possible to provide a full-featured handset at an attractive price point with an uncompromising user experience and an extremely small, light and stylish design,” said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing, Research In Motion. “We are delighted by the immediate success of the BlackBerry Pearl in the market and we are pleased to build on this momentum with the addition of another stunning color and finish.”

I think Guibert sums it …