When the BlackBerry® Bridge™ app was first introduced, it allowed BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet owners with a BlackBerry smartphone to connect their devices in a unique way, with exciting potential for the future. With a BlackBerry Bridge app update for BlackBerry smartphones – and the launch of BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0 – this functionality has been enhanced, building on the connectivity to bring a whole host of exciting new features and use cases.

Picking up where you left off

Your devices need to work together as smoothly and functionally as possible – it’s that simple. There are benefits to using both a BlackBerry tablet and a BlackBerry smartphone to get things done, but if they can’t share information, then you’re simply crafting two separate areas of mobile work. In this sense, BlackBerry Bridge app allows these two devices to not only open the boundaries of sharing data, but allows them to become something else entirely when working together.

By opening up the BlackBerry Bridge folder on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, you can access the core apps on your BlackBerry smartphone, presented within the user interface of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. For example, when I receive a BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) message, I simply reach for whichever device is closer. When I’m in a coffee shop, I generally use my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet exclusively to access content that is coming in to my BlackBerry® Bold™ 9900 smartphone.

The “Open on PlayBook” feature coming with the new BlackBerry Bridge app and BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0 allows you to view email messages, web pages, photos, and more on your tablet. Simply select the “Open on PlayBook” option from your smartphone.

Last night, as I was walking into my apartment building, I received an email containing a YouTube® video link. I simply chose “Open on PlayBook”, took my tablet out of my bag, and took it one step further by popping in the HDMI cable hooked up to my TV to watch the video on my high definition TV. The same use case applies whether you’re viewing and editing documents or browsing company web sites.

• “Open on PlayBook” shows up as a menu item on your BlackBerry smartphone, so you can open messages, address book entries, tasks, memos or calendar appointments on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet
• Opening supported attachments with the “Open on PlayBook” feature triggers the corresponding BlackBerry PlayBook tablet application, such as Adobe® Acrobat® PDF Reader, to automatically launch
• You can also launch browser URLs on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet using the “Open on PlayBook” feature from your BlackBerry smartphone

Exploring the new Remote Control functionality

At this point we arrive at my personal favorite: the remote control feature of the new BlackBerry Bridge app for BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0. Using this feature, I can use my BlackBerry smartphone to control my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, including bezel gestures for multitasking. This functionality extends to the keyboard . Lately I’ve been taking notes in meetings on my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet but typing using the keyboard on my BlackBerry Bold smartphone. This way, those around me can view the meeting notes on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet or a large screen that is connected to my tablet as they’re being taken, while I sit back and type them quickly from where I’m sitting.

Here what you can do with Remote Control:

• Supports BlackBerry PlayBook tablet bezel gestures using your BlackBerry smartphone
• Vertical scrolling
• Drag-lock
• Right, left, and middle mouse click emulation
• Dedicated Presenter Mode

Remote Control really shines in a business setting when it’s combined with an HDMI cable to hook your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet into a projector or big screen TV. Presentations take on a futuristic feel for me when I’m using my smartphone to circle examples that are being projected from my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, all as I walk around the room not tied to any device on the conference table. Additionally, when in Presenter Mode, you’re able to split your BlackBerry smartphone screen into “Back” and “Next” buttons. Your presentation appears on the BlackBerry smartphone screen, your speaking notes on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and control of the entire scenario rests in your hands. Clearly these devices work well together, and applied to countless use cases, are changing the way organizations are doing business.

Note: BlackBerry Bridge Remote Control and Presenter Mode require the combination of a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet running BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0 and BlackBerry Bridge v2.0.

Additional Enhancements

The new functionality certainly doesn’t stop here – there’s more:

• Copy and paste within BlackBerry Bridge applications on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet
• Select a different font size for messages in the BlackBerry Bridge Messages application
• Connect your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet to the Internet through BlackBerry Bridge without having an active Wi-Fi® connection. In this scenario, both work and personal email will function normally. (Please note that this feature needs to be supported by your carrier.)

Consider new ways of accomplishing tasks and work via the functionality provided by updates to BlackBerry Bridge. There’s a lot to be excited about!

How do you use BlackBerry Bridge with BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0? Share in the comments!

The virtual keyboard in BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0 has been updated with a variety of enhancements, and you’ll love the new functionality. Inputting data and accessing the awesome new built-in email application is more intuitive than ever. Help boost the efficiency of your work on the go with the redesigned keyboard which includes a new predictive text feature, as well as the same typing conventions – “Typing DNA” – you have on a BlackBerry smartphone. Let’s take a closer look!

Personalized Predictive Text Engine

Full word prediction and correction which supports English and Latin-based languages are now built-in, and displayed directly above the keyboard – just tap on the word that you’re looking for and continue on your way, or press space to automatically insert the most likely word, which is highlighted in blue and displayed on the far left of all the options. The best part about this system is that it learns from the way that you type; you’ll see words that you use most often appearing to help speed up your input. This applies not only for the word that you’re currently typing, but also for what the predictive text engine believes you may be about to type next! It brings smart word prediction to a whole new level in BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0.

BlackBerry “Typing DNA”

What were your grades like in English class? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. The “Typing DNA” included with BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 helps you out with corrections for commonly misspelled words or missing contractions. For example, “Cant” automatically corrects to “Can’t”. Additionally, words like “htere” transform to “there” if you happen to misspell it often, and the list goes on. Auto-capitalization and foreign character replacements are also included.

A Slimmer Design

Now you’ve got even more screen real estate available to you with a slightly slimmer keyboard, allowing you to better keep track of what’s happening on screen as you type, without compromising your speed or efficiency. I do love a good keyboard, and this one keeps up with my expectations.

So what does it all mean for business users?

We’re all about communication – connecting individuals efficiently, effectively, and productively. The enhancements included in the virtual keyboard of BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 are designed to keep you moving at the speed of your work while on the go, and to intuitively interact with the device on all levels.

To make things a little more interesting…

I decided to test myself with the new keyboard, and wrote this entire blog post in Documents To Go® using my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet running OS 2.0. As pictured above, it was a breeze with the predictive text engine; often all I needed to do was type one or two letters of each word and then select the proposed choice. A little less than 20 minutes total – not bad!

Level with me #TeamBlackBerry, what’s one word that you’re constantly spelling incorrectly using your keyboard? I didn’t use “htere” as an example for no reason…that’s definitely mine! Share yours in the comments.

For those that are unfamiliar with Docs To Go, it is a powerful mobile office suite that allows you to view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel®, and PowerPoint® files and attachments on BlackBerry® smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets. You also have the ability to present PowerPoint documents from your BlackBerry PlayBook by plugging into a projector or TV via an HDMI connection. While in presenter mode, speaking notes are visible on your PlayBook, while your presentation itself is visible from the projector or TV. Updates to BlackBerry® Bridge™ in PlayBook OS 2.0 further enhance this feature by allowing you to control “back” and “next” functionality using your BlackBerry smartphone.

Feature Improvements to the Docs To Go Suite

• Editing text within Microsoft PowerPoint documents is now supported
• The suite now supports BlackBerry® Balance™ for keeping corporate documents and data secure
• Find & Replace functionality has been added to the Microsoft Word and Excel feature list
• Bluetooth® keyboards and keyboard-shortcuts are now supported
• You can now clear files from the “Recently Used Files” list
• Password-protected Office 2010 files can now be accessed
• When presenting, you can now use your BlackBerry smartphone with BlackBerry Bridge as a remote control to move forward and backward through your presentation

Specific enhancements have been implemented for individual applications within the suite.

• While editing Microsoft Word documents, you’ll have the ability to create and edit both bulleted and numbered lists.
• Editing Microsoft Excel files includes functionality which allows you to copy, paste, and resize cells, rows, and columns. Additionally, you may view and update embedded charts and chart sheets. Lastly, a new formula wizard has been added for easy entry of over 110 supported functions.
• Working with Microsoft PowerPoint files will include editing of text in in both .ppt and .pptx file formats, and also allows you to hide/show slides with basic HDMI presenter-mode optimizations. Lastly, viewing of charts within PowerPoint .pptx files has also been improved.

Introducing Print To Go version 1.0

Print To Go eliminates the hassle of mountains of paper files by wireless printing from your laptop or PC directly to your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet with the simple click of a “print” button. With an easy-to-install Microsoft® Windows® application, Print To Go is added as a printer to your system. You can view, sort, and manage digital printouts from various sources like web pages, documents, emails, or other applications – all within a very slick and intuitive user interface that mimics physical sheets of paper, which was inspired by our friends over at The Astonishing Tribe (TAT).

For example, before jumping on a plane to attend CES 2012 in Las Vegas, I printed all of the planning documents and schedules that I had kept on my PC, right to my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which allowed me to reference these files while en route. I did the same with a map of the city, as well as my flight and hotel booking information. In the office, I have the ability to quickly transfer a document to my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet for use in a meeting or a coffee shop conversation with a colleague. Taking your work on the go is quick and functional with PlayBook OS 2.0 and the Print To Go application. For solutions that allow you to print documents from your PlayBook tablet to a physical printer, look no further than BlackBerry App World™.

On to the specifics!

Print To Go version 1.0 includes the following:

• A Microsoft® Windows® application that installs a virtual “Print To Go” printer onto your computer that can be accessed from any application that allows printing (e.g. Microsoft Office, web pages, image viewers, and more)
• Secure wireless peer-to-peer printing from your PC to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet over Wi-Fi®, including end-to-end encryption of the documents
• If you have BlackBerry Balance in use on your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, all printouts are automatically sent to the secure “Work” partition
• Secure printing using your BlackBerry ID
• Notifications on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet when new printouts arrive
• A Print To Go app on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet that allows you to view, sort, and manage printouts as if they were physical stacks of paper on a desktop
• A virtual paper shredder for deleting the digital printouts from your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet

These enhancements to the Docs To Go office suite, as well as the addition of Print To Go, will truly push the abilities of mobile work far forward. Working from your tablet, especially when using a Bluetooth keyboard or an HDMI monitor connection, now provides a higher level of functionality and capability when creating, editing, presenting or sharing documents. We hope that Print To Go will not only save paper, but also help you to unclutter your work life by keeping your desk clean and allowing you to use your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet as a resource for handling printed documents.

How will you use Print To Go in your daily work? Share in the comments below.