14 DAY TRIAL // On Monday, Canadian mobile phone maker Research In Motion announced the release of a new application for their new BlackBerry PlayBook tablet PC, one that would facilitate users' access to one of the most popular social destinations out there, Facebook.
The new Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook builds on the success of Facebook for BlackBerry smartphones application, but with features and capabilities that would make it fit for the larger, 7-inch screen of the new device.
The new software should provide users with all of the popular features of Facebook, and should offer a great experience on the 7'' high-resolution, multi-touch LCD display the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet comes with.
The mobile phone maker notes that the new mobile application is capable of providing users with an engaging experience through integrating popular features and functionality they would enjoy on Facebook.
Some of the main features the app comes with would include the ability to easily add and view friends, and even interact with them at ease, or to view photos and videos, not to mention that the PlayBook also offers the possibility to upload new photos on the social networking site.
Other functionalities of the new device would include the ability to connect with friends through Facebook Chat, or view and interact with the News Feed, with the possibility to view links in the BlackBerry PlayBook browser.
Here are some specific details on each of these features:
- View and add Friends - Users can interact with friends quickly and easily: find friends by scanning the new grid view of their profile pictures; search for and add new friends and manage new friend requests; browse their profiles, photos and videos; view and interact with wall posts; view key information on profiles and pages; and view, comment and ‘like’ photos on profiles and pages.
- Enjoy seamless photo and video viewing - Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook makes it easy to upload photos from the BlackBerry PlayBook Picture Library, tag friends in photos, view comments, tags and likes. The BlackBerry PlayBook can also be connected to an HD TV to display photos and videos at a whole new level in full 1080p HD.
- Connect with friends using Facebook Chat - On the BlackBerry PlayBook screen, users can enjoy side-by-side viewing of online contacts and active conversations. Notifications of new Chat messages are displayed on the Notifications Bar, so users can quickly and easily read and respond to new Chat messages while browsing friends’ profiles, viewing their pictures or reading their status updates.
- View and interact with the News Feed - Users will be able to browse highlights such as photo uploads and status updates and seamlessly view links in the BlackBerry PlayBook browser. They will also be able to “Comment” and “Like” to discuss and show appreciation for friends’ content, as well as publish a status update or upload a photo from the status publisher accessible from their Profile or from within the News Feed.
The new application has not been released as of yet, but RIM brought it to the BlackBerry World 2011 conference in Orlando, Florida. The company also announced that Facebook for BlackBerry PlayBook should become available for download sometime in May via the BlackBerry App World.