Whether it’s a phone or a tablet, using these mobile devices to pass the boring parts of the day is probably the best feature (besides being connected to the ones we love of course). Today my mission was to find an application or game on the BlackBerry PlayBook that features three key attributes. These attributes where attractive UI, low cost – or free, and addicting gameplay. The first game to pass these was Minesweeper Reloaded.

Features

• Adjustable mine count
• Adjustable field size
• Multiplayer coming soon
• Sound effects coming soon

If you’re a windows PC user I’m sure you have probably stumbled across the Minesweeper game that has been pre-loaded on almost all Windows machines since ... well, the beginning of time. Minesweeper Reloaded is no different from the classic you’ve come to love.

I had a few issues with the game - one being that often the animated transitions would take long to complete causing you to hit one of the icons a second and a third time. The issue is every time you hit the one of the option buttons, it tries to complete the action again. For example, if you click the options icon and then click again because you thought you didn't, it will open and then reopen the settings page because of the slow transitions.  The other issue I found is more of a feature request and it is that the game is missing sound effects -- something that would add more excitement to the gameplay. I’ve taken the time to read in the developer’s notes on App World and he is certainly looking to add sound effects and it should be coming in a future update, so do not panic.

With mines placed strategically throughout the playing field and with almost no way of knowing where one lies, you’ll be on the edge of your seat as you test the waters with Minesweeper Reloaded on the BlackBerry PlayBook, give it a download, it’s free.

Download Minesweeper Reloaded for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Anyone that doubts the future of Research In Motion and the BlackBerry brand need look no further than the developing markets outside of North America to see that not only is RIM not dead, it is in fact flourishing in other parts of the world. South Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico are all huge contributors to revenue, with Nigeria soon to be added to the list. Robert Bose, head of RIM for Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, revealed at BlackBerry World that within the next two months a BlackBerry office will open in Lagos, making Nigeria a specific target market.

Nigeria currently has a very small smartphone market at this time with only 5% of phone users owning one. However, BlackBerry is the number one smartphone brand with half of that market already using the RIM made devices. With inexpensive unlimited internet plans and the high popularity of BlackBerry Messenger in this region (97% of BlackBerry users in Nigeria use BBM) combined with inexpensive phones such as the BlackBerry Curve 8520, it's no wonder the brand has gone viral. It's not just a matter of money, however. BlackBerry was voted as the most popular phone among teenagers and there was even a series of Nollywood films released last year called BlackBerry Babes focusing on how your social status can be harmed if you don't own a BlackBerry. All of this, without any direct representation of the brand.

Don't let yourself be fooled by the popularity low-end devices. High-end devices such as the Bold 9900 sell just as well as the more inexpensive Curve line. "A lot of people expect that the only devices we would sell in Nigeria would be the 8520 or the cheapest phones,” says Waldi Wepener, RIM's regional director for East, Central and West Africa. “But we sell as many at the high end. Because Nigeria is not a subsidized market, and operators don't subsidize devices down to zero, the price of the device at the user level is very visible. And that doesn't hold back the market.”

So what does all of this mean for RIM and BlackBerry? There is currently a market of 100 million phone users, with 5 million of those people using smartphones, and half of that number are BlackBerry smartphones. It's only a matter of time until the population begins to migrate en masse to smartphones, which opens up tens of millions of new users for RIM in the next few years. And that's just in Nigeria. Research In Motion already has stores opening across India and the Middle East where BlackBerry sales have been thriving. Of course, winning back the North American market is still important and most would agree that it's crucial to RIM's survival for the long run. But that is a battle that will take a lot of work and won't be won overnight. It's good to know that in the meantime, BlackBerry and Research In Motion aren't going under, they're simply winning over other markets while rebuilding their image back home.

Discuss more in the forums

Source: ITWeb

What You May Have Missed

RIM preparing update for the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device
Week one with the BlackBerry Curve 9320 - Initial thoughts
And the winner of CrackBerry Kevin's Porsche Design BlackBerry is....
New BlackBerry 10 photos shed more light on the homescreen flow experience
BlackBerry DevCon renamed BlackBerry Jam Americas
BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour dates confirmed
BlackBerry Desktop Software 7.1 now available in BlackBerry Beta Zone

Contest Reminders

Win a stylus of your choice for your BlackBerry!

It's a holiday weekend in Canada. Victoria Day. That means no work on Monday. Hopefully our BlackBerry making friends in Waterloo, Ottawa (QNX's hometown), Toronto (the Torch team) and elsewhere in Canada are getting a short break from their busy work schedules and are enjoying some R&R.

As RIM's CEO Thorsten Heins would say, Research In Motion is "laser focused" on bringing BlackBerry 10 to market. I know all of RIM is 100% committed to making sure the launch of BB10 is a success and I *know* everybody at RIM is working their butts off to make sure they follow through on that goal.

But everybody needs to recharge their batteries once in a while, so on that note I'll keep this FtED short and just say cheers to #TEAMBLACKBERRY this weekend!

Looking to get a little gaming in this week? Then look no further than Somyeol Jump and Run for the BlackBerry PlayBook. Somyeol Jump and Run is a 2D side scrolling game in which your mission is to save a group of Somyeols as Metroid’s attacks their home planet. The game features 100 levels, Scoreloop integration, various control options and more.

Features:

• Totally FREE
• Unique Jump&Run
• Over 100 fun and challenging levels
• 11 different types of Somyeols
• Collect and find hidden trophys
• Scoreloop online highscore, compete with friends or players all over the world
• Different input methods

Essentially what you’re doing is controlling a group of about 10 Somyeols, and have to successfully move them from point A to point B, but that’s where the simplicity ends. The issue is that the other Somyeols don’t have a mind of their own, and just follow the leader and when you’re faced with fire, spikes, and water this makes for a slightly more complicated game. If you’re thinking “ah, that’s easy”, remember that you need to ensure that all of the drone Somyeols make their way back to the rocket ship…..alive. The more you leave behind or the more that die on the way the lower your score is and the harder it is to continue.

I was impressed to see the developer add Scoreloop into their game, really does adds to the fun factor when playing and competing against others. Somyeol Jump and Run is available on the BlackBerry PlayBook and is available in BlackBerry App World for the low-low cost of free, and you can’t beat that.

Download Somyeol Jump and Run for the BlackBerry PlayBook

"One of the best holsters for a BlackBerry smartphone - Place the Seidio Spring Clip Holster for the BlackBerry Bold 9900 on your side"

For some reason, I don't like the leather holster that RIM ships with the BlackBerry Bold 9900. Maybe it's because I find it restricts quick access to my device, or maybe it's the style, heck perhaps it's both. So I set out on a mission, a mission that would end my holster torment forever. A quest to find the best holster for the BlackBerry Bold 9900. Now, the question is did I find that mythical holster? Continue reading the review of Seidio's Spring Clip Holster for the BlackBerry Bold 9900.

Read Full Review

Need to send out last minute party invites? Forgot to get that birthday card in the mail? No problem when you have j4funzies. This fun application allows you to send cool animated (or non-animated) greetings to your friends and family from your BlackBerry device (OS 5 or higher). The app itself is FREE and the greetings range from FREE to $1.99. There are numerous holidays, special event greetings and everyday type sentiments.

Features

• Send greetings via SMS, email or PIN
• Holidays, Personal Occasions, Casual and Invitation greetings with more added all the time
• Both animated and non-animated greetings available

Make someone's day by sending them an animated greeting with j4funzies. I’ve used j4funzies to send birthday party invitations, a few Mother’s Day greetings as well as random little notes to my kids and husband. It's a great way to send a short note just to let someone know you're thinking of them.

For more information / download j4funzies

If you use eBuddy XMS on your BlackBerry as a cross-platform messenger, you will be happy to learn that a new version has been released that not only adds support for older OS' (4.6 and above) but also group messaging! You can now chat with up to 30 of your friends at once, whether they are on BlackBerry, iOS, Android, Windows phones, or Nokia. They even have a desktop application, so if you don't feel like picking up your phone you don't have to.

If you don't currently have an app for cross-platform messaging, or maybe you're looking for something new to try, eBuddy XMS has a lot of features you might enjoy. XMS users in your phone book are automatically added to your XMS contact list, and you can link your Facebook account to find more friends. Messages also have sent and read indicators, (a la BBM) so you always know the status of your message. And since the messages are sent via your internet connection, you don't have to worry about texting overages or extra fees. You can find eBuddy XMS in BlackBerry App World for free at the link below, and for other platforms simply visit ebuddyxms.com.

More information/download eBuddy XMS

If you’ve ever wanted to become a Hollywood stunt person but hate the risks associated with flying in the air and smashing into things, then don’t worry -- you’re not alone. While we leave the stunts to the experts, we’re still able to have a little fun with a new game for the BlackBerry PlayBook called Stunt Pear. Stunt Pear takes you on an interesting voyage where you have to smash your way through boxes and obstacles to get into the barrel. The developer has used physics and ragdoll effects to make the game not only appealing, but also a little challenging.

Features

• Smash, bounce and spin your way through 144 levels
• Use gears, cannons, bubbles, tires, pinball bumpers, skateboards and shopping trolleys to reach the goal
• Cool ragdoll physics
• Collect the stars hidden throughout the world to unlock the Nightmare levels!

The developer of Stunt Pear is Chocolate Moose Games and an intriguing fact is that they first made the game for iOS, skipped Android (for now) and went right to the BlackBerry PlayBook. The move to go directly to BlackBerry unquestionably has me excited as more developers support what I feel is the best gaming and communications tool available.

I’ve been powering through the levels over the past few days and there’s something that’s missing, something that would spark the competitiveness in others and myself. That something is an online leader board with Scoreloop integration. With Scroeloop, you can see how others are doing around the world and attempt to beat their scores. Not only would this cause many to play more to beat scores it’s also known to help keep the game on tablets for a longer period of time. Other than the missing Scoreloop I’ve been addicted to Stunt Pear and recommend giving it a download. Stunt Pear is available BlackBerry App World for the BlackBerry PlayBook and is only .99 cents.

More information/Download Stunt Pear

The latest version of the BlackBerry Desktop Software has just hit the beta zone. This time it rings in at version 7.1 and is ready for the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha as well as 4G PlayBook (I'll take one of each, thanks).

Updates include:

• Media sync enhancements including individual selection, sync by album, and customizable columns in collections mode
• Support for 4G PlayBooks
• Support for new BlackBerry 7 OS devices
• Major bug fixes and PIM sync improvements as highlighted in the Release Notes (in downloads section)
• Support for BB10 Alpha Developer devices

Looks like only some minor tweaks and fixes aside from there, but if you're a Beta Zone member you can grab the update anyway. Head to the link below to sign up if you're not already a member.

Check out more in the BlackBerry Beta Zone