While the first demo from The Astonishing Tribe (TAT) walked us through a scrapbook app on the Blackberry PlayBook, they also demoed what is possible when making use of the BlackBerry WebWorks Platform SDK. In other words, they basically built the application using HTML 5 and CSS, which is common on just about every webpage you visit. Anyone with a general interest and a few hours exploring the uses of HTML and CSS could create a similar app to this. That is the power and driving force behind the BlackBerry WebWorks Platform. Even with the basics, rich applications can be built such as the one in the video. Even though it's just a demo, I'm sure most will agree it looks pretty damn awesome.

BlackBerry PlayBook WebWorks Aura Weather App demo built by TAT gets shown off
21 Comments
Very simple... The future looks bright.
Have to say the IBB camera guy is really on the ball. He really helps to bring out the value in what you are seeing and helping make sure that the guys doing the presenting hit all the right points. I hope blackberry really values him. And no, I'm not him ;-)
His name is Douglas Soltys and he better be good, he's the Editor in Chief, for Inside BlackBerry
http://blogs.blackberry.com/author/dsoltys/
He's a great guy for sure, and no I'm not him either!
I have been observing his work and couldn't agree more, he sure knows how to market a product. I am not him either :)
...This is a very cool demo (zero lag), and all you have to say is that the camera man is good? He's got the camera pointed at the PlayBook -- what the heck is so amazing about that?!? I don't think he needs to help the Director, Developer Relations from RIM who often does keynotes hit the right points.
I bet you made several accounts on here just to pat yourself on the back.
Love that it uses the accelerometer as an added bonus feature. They really are an Astonishing Tribe.
I am really confused. What century are they showing the app from. Ofcourse it's just a demo but whats with all the lag? The only time I've seen graphical lag in any device these days is on a android's screen - and even they're almost coming out from it.
Where do you see lag?
Remember this is WebWork's application pulling weather data from from the internet most likely via wifi. If you look the initial white screen is the loading of the application and is very quick, the application itself after being loaded needs to pull it's information from the web. This is not 3 lines of weather information it's probably a matrix of weather information for the day hourly and for the next 7 days this takes some time to download. Also remember they are in a location that probably has their wifi saturated with everyone using it. How many flash application do you know that don't have a load time on them. The lag you see is very minimal and no matter what platform you are on this would be expected. You remind me exactly of this skit "everythings amazing & nobodys happy"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk&feature=related
I am with parabola... Where do you see the lag?
I see ZERO lag.
Looks like you're one of those lurkers who's sole reason for existence is waiting for that RIM demo where there's some small lag. When you finally see one, you'd sure won't waste a second to put your exclamation marks on that fact. Pathetic.
And let me guess, you're an iBot? Well, your master Jobs always make sure his demos are 100% scripted and performed under best conditions so that all you see is "magic". Still, that didn't prevent him from experiencing network failure or bumping into a placeholder box for lack of Flash during a demo. LOL Oh and your iProducts can't even smoothly animate three harmless little bubbles using the very web technologies that Jobs is supposedly "championning". Now that's some ugly lag.
Oh no no no no! I never meant to bash on PlayBook. I think PlayBook is fantastic, I cannot wait till I have one in my hands. What I meant by the comment was that the app itself is ridiculously sluggish (i suppose this is more proper term than lag).
Just to make myself clear, death to apple, long live BlackBerry haha
The only lag is in your head. Get a better computer or upgrade your Internet connection because there is zero lag.
The only lag is in your head. Get a better computer or upgrade your Internet connection because there is zero lag.
I wonder if there are BB boys lurking on iPhone/Mac websites, personally i don't have time and I suspect most BB owners don't either.
But if they are wooo field days on that antenna issue. I guess the iPhone comeback is I don't call anyone I just sit at home playing angry birds.... all the girls are hooked up with the guys who have BBM ;-)
I crawl the sites all the time on Edgadget and BGR and put iPhone users straight on there. It is amazing ignorance to their knowledge. It kind of like Americans thinking us Canadians drive sleds around and live in igloos. No jab meant but you know the stereo type I am talking about. Funny thing is no one ever replies back!
Im a BB fan, but I'm sorry, there might not be lag, but the application itself is running at a VERY low frame rate, probably at about 15fps, i wouldnt use it just because of that; it kills the whole experience.
I wish this gets finalized before it hits the release date of PB,
Correction 60 FPS!!!! Don't guess know!
http://crackberry.com/tat-shows-more-blackberry-playbook-capabilities?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+crackberry/qBTB+(CrackBerry.com+Blogs)
watch their demo on the scrap book app. This aint kid stuff guys RIM is not playing around this time around people are about to be blown away with what this can do!
This was intended to be a DEMO on how easy it is to make Playbook apps using HTML 5. If you guys were paying attention you would have heard him say the folks at TAT put this together in under a week.
NOWHERE does it say this is ever going to be released to the public.
You guys get your panties in a knot over the smallest things...
Wow, people get so worked up :^)
Look at the 30 second mark, where the skyline pans up into view. Definitely looks like lag. But as others have mentioned, this doesn't mean anything; as a demo it is very likely that many software tweaks are going to be made.
The playbook is a beast, with more than enough power to perform these transitions well. Take a look at the first playbook videos, and the latest ones, to see what software tweaking does to remove apparent "lag".
Don't like demos? Then don't watch them.



















