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!

For the last several months during my first “challenge”, I talked about traveling with just a BlackBerry® smartphone and a BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. But what about extending this concept to the home office? Over the next few months, that is exactly what I’ll be discussing, starting with setting up your work space at home. (Oh, and before you ask, writing this entire post plus the images were all done on my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and/or BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 smartphone!)

Let’s approach this post as a suggestion on what you can use to have a proper, modern home office setup. I’m a big fan of the onscreen keyboard on both the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and my BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone, but when I’m in my home office I need a physical keyboard. You can pair up a native Bluetooth® keyboard (this doesn’t require a USB dongle) and mouse for full control of your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Next, I found a great portable stand, which keeps the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet upright so I’m able to use the screen when necessary. It also keeps it at the perfect angle to do video chats (we will discuss video chat in a later post).

I wouldn’t categorize a monitor as a “necessity” but it is nice to have, and with the HDMI port from my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, I’m able to plug directly in to the monitor and get a very nice look and feel. That HDMI cable is going to be your go-to companion in your home office and on the road.

A few other items that round out the mobile office setup would be these nice foldable BlackBerry stands, a USB splitter to charge both my device, and a headset.

Do you have a similar setup? Share your personal favorite home office equipment in the comments!

The next “Paul’s Challenge” that I’ve been waiting to post has arrived, and it’s all about the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. Let me be honest – even though I have been traveling without a laptop for around 9+ months, there were times that I wished I had one. That changed when I was handed a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. I can definitely say that it has added value to several aspects of my day to day work – but how has it changed my No-Laptop Challenge?

BlackBerry® Bridge™

While all the PIM’s available are extremely helpful and great to see on a larger screen, what I find the most valuable is “Bridge Files”. You may remember back on my first post I talked about the “Files” application; well, it now has new meaning with the larger screen. Not only are my files available to me, but now I can utilize them on my BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Any file I have saved on my BlackBerry® smartphone – or can be pulled off of my personal network drive via “Files” – is readily available on the tablet screen. You should note that some service providers may require a tethering plan to make use of the BlackBerry Bridge application, so you should check your plan to see what features are available to you.

Enhanced Presentations

We have all experienced a ton of Microsoft® PowerPoint® presentations in the course of our work. I’m not saying that you can’t mix it up on a laptop, but I haven’t seen anyone succeed. But with the HDMI output on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, not only can I carry a lightweight powerhouse, I have full 1080p resolution output and a slew of apps and features that I can use to redefine how content is presented. First, there is Slideshow To Go®, which allows me to do the traditional slide content with presentation mode. Second, I also have great apps like Sketch Book which allow me to do a range of things from simple whiteboarding to loading a picture in the background and marking it up. The great thing is that you can change the background while keeping your markups. Full color palette and the ability to save your work makes this a must have for any presenter. Add full HD product videos and browser-based Adobe® Flash® demos and it becomes unbeatable.

Multi-Tasking

I am what you would call a “Power User”; I can drag the best desktops and/or laptops to their knees. This means that I am a notorious multitasker who runs many applications at all times. With my plans to scale down my home office to a BlackBerry smartphone and a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, clearly I have stringent requirements for powerful devices. The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet has delivered under the pressure of this use – I always have around seven apps running, without experiencing a single hiccup or drop in speed. For power users, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is needed to perform, and when you’re relying on a device to accomplish your business goals, it must perform. And I’m pleased to share that it has met or exceeded the use and performance requirements that I’ve placed on these devices as representative of my entire home office technology.

Conclusion

You might be asking “What’s next for Paul’s Challenge?” Traveling without a laptop was really the first stage in my overall project. I think that it’s time to start moving on to stage two and move off of my laptop completely at my home office. With this direction in mind, get ready for my next set of blog entries covering everything BlackBerry PlayBook tablet!