If you've got a spare BlackBerry PlayBook just lying around, Halloween is a great time to put it to good use. Last year I used mine to play a creepy video in my front window, but this year we're kicking things up a notch or ten.

I've never been a good pumpkin carver so my Jack O'Lanterns haven't always been the greatest, but thanks to my trusty PlayBook, this year I'm going to make some awesome tablicized pumpkins for the front porch. 

You'll need a pretty big pumpkin to fit the PlayBook - one that's at least 9 or 10" across and 8 or 9" tall - this may be the hardest part of the project depending on where you live. Of course you'll need a PlayBook (preferably an old one) to get this done as well. Some basic knife skills will come in handy too.

  1. To get started, trace the outline of your PlayBook on the front of the pumpkin. It doesn't have to be perfect but try to keep it somewhere in the middle. 
  2. Next, carve out the rectangle the best you can, then pull out the PlayBook-sized chunk. 
  3. From here, clean out all the gooey pumpkiny crap inside so you have a hollow pumpkin.
  4. If you're using a PlayBook that you don't want to screw up too much, you may want to wrap the back and sides in plastic wrap or tape just to keep them clean, but that's up to you.

AC Power

If you're going to leave this setup for an extended period of time and want to power your PlayBook, follow these steps. If you're going in short spurts on battery power then skip this part.

  • Cut a small hole on the back of the pumpkin near the bottom. This will be where you feed your power cord, so it just has to be big enough to get the small end of the microUSB cable through.
  • Feed in your power cord first from the hole in the back, then pull it out the front and plug in your PlayBook. I'd recommend turning the PlayBook upside down so the plug is at the top. 
  • Put your PlayBook up to the hole and see where the microUSB plug lines up. You'll want to cut out a bit of a notch on the inside of the pumpkin so the plug has a place to rest and your PlayBook can still sit flush. Cut out a small bit at a time by reaching inside the hole. Test for fit and if you need more then cut a bit bigger. Remember you can always cut out more so just do a bit at a time.

Battery Power

Push the PlayBook into the hole. Odds are you'll have to modify things a bit and cut out a bit more to get the PlayBook to fit all the way it. Don't push too hard - you just want the PlayBook to fit flush and stay in the hole. If it doesn't fit at first, see what's holding it up and cut off a bit more as needed.

Once you're done, use your jacked up pumpkin with one of the cool uses below or come up with one of your own!

  • Scary Photo Slideshow - Load up some scary Halloween photos and run them as a slideshow 
  • Scary Videos - Loop a spooky Halloween video. Check out some examples here
  • Trapped Inside - For a cool "I'm trapped in this pumpkin effect" record a close-up video of yourself on the PlayBook screaming and yelling that you're trapped in the pumpkin.
  • Jack O'Lantern Faces - Find some images of actual Jack O'Lanterns to create an inception pumpkin with a photo slideshow
  • Video Chat - If you have another PlayBook, video chat from one to the other and scare your guests in real time!

Have other ideas? Let us know in the comments below!

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