A complete, no command line process to convert Android .APK files to BlackBerry .BAR files!

Since the release of PlayBook OS 2.0 we've been covering a lot of different ways to get Android apps onto your BlackBerry PlayBook. Most of the methods covered take into account that you may already have the Android .APK files converted to a BlackBerry PlayBook compatible .BAR file and go from there. Gathering up converted .BAR files and installing them is the easy part, but what if you want to convert your own Android files for use rather than downloading those already converted?

There are already a few great guides in the CrackBerry forums but most of those are geared towards Windows users. We will also cover Windows users in this guide, and those of you out there who use a Mac will find that this will be one of the easiest guides to follow to complete the task of converting your own Android .APK files to .BAR files, signing them and even installing them directly to your BlackBerry PlayBook for immediate use. Sound good? If so hit the break to get started.

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Just over two weeks ago the official BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update was finally available for everyone to download. Long before this though the information was readily available that it would include an Android App Player, and RIM even detailed the procedure for Android developers to port their applications and submit them to App World. To entice developers to submit their applications to App World RIM even opened up the free PlayBook offer again, and while many developers jumped at the opportunity, we are left wondering why more didn't?

In the past we have seen big companies drop support for BlackBerry devices, and some companies that just refuse to even begin development, but why? If you, an Android developer, already have a packaged and functional application that you have released on Android, why not take a few minutes to repackage it and let a whole other user base benefit as well? Isn't the idea behind developing an application to get it into the hands of as many people as possible, to have tons of users benefit from and enjoy your application? Why write off an entire brands user base?

Wouldn't an extended user base of over one million PlayBook owners be something that you, as a developer, would want to have access to your application? These PlayBook owners love their applications, spending money on a quality application is not something most BlackBerry users think twice about. We want your application, we will pay you for your application, we just need you to bring us the application.

The process is free, it appears to be quite painless, and it isn't like they are requesting the whole application to be rewritten, just simply repackaged into a file that can be installed on the BlackBerry PlayBook. With well over a million of these out there, even if you price the application at $1.00 and one tenth of the PlayBook owners purchase it, that is a nice chunk of change in your pocket, right?

If you are an Android developer who is on the fence, or decided not to support the PlayBook, we would love to hear from you. Hop into the forums and let us know what factors led you to your decision. 

Get Kindle, Google Maps, DropBox and IM+ on your BlackBerry PlayBook!

If you're looking to get some big name apps like Kindle, Google Maps or DropBox onto your BlackBerry PlayBook after upgrading to OS 2.0 - have no fear. You now have the ability to sideload (aka load outside of BlackBerry App World) many Android apps with just a few simple steps.  All you'll need a Windows PC and your PlayBook, and by following a few simple steps which we'll go over in detail, you'll be up and running with some great apps in no time at all. You can check out a full list of working Android apps as well as download some BAR files from our thread in the forums, then head to the link below for a full tutorial on how to sideload Android apps on your BlackBerry PlayBook.

How To Sideload Android apps on PlayBook OS v2.0 for use with the Android App Player
Links to over 243 BARs for your BlackBerry PlayBook

*UPDATED* - We reached out to RIM for further clarification on this matter because as it stands, some Android apps do currently have ads in them. In speaking with them, it was noted that ads will work inside the Android apps the only thing however that is not supported is RIM's own BlackBerry Ad services. In other words, Android developers can still monetize their apps, just not using BlackBerry Ad services.

With OS2 for the BlackBerry Playbook so close to release many of us are anxiously awaiting our favorite Android applications to be ported to the BlackBerry PlayBook. While we have alreday heard there would be some limitations on what the PlayBook could run as far as Android apps, RIM has made the process extremely easy for developers so we have held on to hope of our favorites making their way over. Developers who ported their application from Android to BlackBerry were eligible to receive a free BlackBerry PlayBook, but was that enough to seal the deal for them?

A huge pain point has surfaced, and it has come to light that Android applications that are running on the BlackBerry PlayBook will not support mobile advertising. This means that developers who launch free applications that feature ads inside as a source of monetization will not be able to monetize their application, making the porting process far less appealing. Another downside is that Android applications will not allow for in-app purchases, so the developer is stuck either going completely free, or putting a price tag on the application and hoping for the best which is far from the ideal situation for these developers. 

RIM does not feel as though this will have a huge negative impact on the PlayBook and the success of OS 2 as a whole. Recently they have noticed a huge increase in developer interest with 6,600 new developers registered in just six days, which actually caused them to want to extend the free PlayBook offer to continue to drive the interest of the developers. 

“While Android is important to fill out the long tail of apps, the focus is on building out native and HTML5 apps,”(Jeff Gadway, RIM’s Senior Brand & Marketing Communication)

The focus of continuing to build for the BlackBerry brand instead of build for the competitor and port for BlackBerry is a strategy that will have great long term affects. Building natively for the BlackBerry platform will help ensure that users receive better support, faster updates, and an overall better experience.

Source: Gigaom

One of the questions I asked RIM execs back at BlackBerry DevCon during our Android Apps on BlackBerry press session was in regards to third party Android app marketplaces. I was wondering if RIM, in addition to allowing individual developers to submit their Android apps to BlackBerry App World, would try and work on injesting apps from some of these other Android app sources in volume. The response I received from RIM was that "yes, this is something they have thought about". Whether they would or not was still a question.

But today we have evidence that not only did RIM think about this, but is actually doing it, thanks to this email we received from our friend Wayne (@wjddesigns) at WJD Designs:

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By now, most BlackBerry PlayBook fans and CrackBerry readers know RIM has officially released the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 software. Along with a slew of new and updated features, OS 2.0 brings along the ability to run Android applications as well. If you haven't updated yet - do it now. You will need it in order to make use of this guide so if you don't have -- grab it before continuing on.

As many have found out, the process of repackaging Android apps for use on the BlackBerry PlayBook is fairly simple provided you have the time and patience to sit down and read through the documentation -- as well, sign up for application signing keys which by the way is still free and available to anyone. For some though, the thought of hunting down .apk files, converting them and ultimately signing them is just far too technical to even bother trying.

That said, if you're not all that tech savvy but have already installed or are planning to install PlayBook OS v2.0 and really just want to try out some of the many Android apps already converted by CrackBerry Forum members, then this is the guide for you. It has very little technical jargon and only requires that you have a Windows internet connected computer, a BlackBerry PlayBook as well as a USB cable and some patience. If you're using a Mac you're in the wrong place - check out our tutorial on sideloading from your Mac here.

Read on if you're looking to learn more.

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One of my favorite experiences at BlackBerry DevCon 2011 was the press briefing I attended on the topic of BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps. Present from Research In Motion were Chris Smith, VP of the BlackBerry Development Platform, and Larry McDonough, Manager of Handheld Software Platform (focus on APIs and runtimes).

In addition to fielding questions, the goal of the session was to educate the press with demos of Android apps running on the PlayBook and to witness just how easy the re-packaging/porting process is. Normally a session like this is half demo, half Q&A, but with a lot of bloggers and media in attendance for this one the questions started flying within minutes and didn't slow down right up until the end. 

I actually recorded the audio from the session (on my Bold 9900 of course) have embedded it above for playback or you can download it here. You may have to crank up the audio to hear everything, but if you're interested in learning more about RIM's ambitions in supporting Android apps on the BBX platform, I suggest you listen. There's a lot of great stuff in here. Note - I was pretty fired up in this Q&A so ask a LOT of questions (seriously... I was the annoying kid in class who had his hand up the whole time). 

For those who don't have time to listen to the audio, below I've condensed and written up in my own words the answers to what I felt have been some of the biggest lingering questions on the topic of Android Apps on BlackBerry. Keep reading for more!

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Back in March of this year when RIM announced the Android player for PlayBook, my first thought was awesome! We were going to get the best of both worlds, we'd be able to run apps from two of the great software platforms out there. When the leaked version made its way to the internet a couple months ago and I had some actual hands on experience my feelings became a little bit more mixed. Being a leaked beta I tried my best to hold off judgment until something was released officially by RIM. The leaked beta was slow and required launching the app player then launching apps within it, not to mention app compatibility was fairly low, but it did show some promise.

Fast forward to DevCon 2011 this past week and the PlayBook OS 2.0 Developer Beta with Android support. Immediately the changes were noticeable. No longer did we need to launch the separate Android player, it was built right into the QNX OS and Android apps would display as regular icons on the home screen. The first thing I did was hit up the forums and start side loading BAR files that other users had converted from Android apps. Some apps such as Kindle worked great, and others, well... not so much.

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Now that the developer build of the PlayBook OS 2.0 is out, many folks have been also testing the Android Player Repackaging Tools. There is a great guide in the CrackBerry forums showing just how to convert Android .APK files to BlackBerry PlayBook compatible .BAR files and one app that a lot of people are being drawn to is the Amazon Kindle app.

Since we know Amazon will be releasing the Amazon Kindle Fire soon, there priority of launching a native PlayBook version of Kindle is probably pretty low on the list but no matter. When converted to a .BAR file, the Kindle for Android app instantly becomes a Kindle for PlayBook app that functions pretty flawlessly. You can login, see your library and read books as you would expect.

If you're looking to try it out, you'll need the developer build of the PlayBook OS v2.0 installed and since the conversion was already done in the CrackBerry forums, you'll be able to install it easily without the need for doing the conversion yourself but the guide is there should you wish to try out other apps. You'll find Kindle and many other free Android apps already converted for you.

Learn more in the CrackBerry Forums

With all of the new BlackBerry Smartphone excitement this week (be sure to check out our reviews of the Bold 9900/9930 and Torch 9860/9850/9810), we forgot to note on the blogs the BlackBerry PlayBook's 120 day anniversary. Is it a milestone worthy of a joyous celebration? Not quite. Though the PlayBook is powerfully awesome and does have a ton of great things about it -- I spent an hour last night watching music videos on the new Vevo app -- we're still waiting for some MAJOR features to hit, like Native Email and the Android App Player. And while our BlackBerry PlayBook forums have been buzzing with users anxiously waiting for the next monthly-ish update in what we thought would be a "steady cadence" of updates, it's now looking like those shorter-term planned updates are on hold in favor of a much bigger PlayBook 2.0 re-launch.

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A rumor hit the internet yesterday in regards to the much-anticipated Android App Player for the BlackBerry PlayBook stating that the feature won't arrive until "late fall" despite RIM previously stating that it will arrive late summer. The information was said to come from a "reliable source."

I've been keeping pretty close tabs on this one since getting my in-depth App Player walk through during my recent trip to Waterloo, and from what I'm seeing/hearing things are still on track. As it stands now developers should be getting access in the next two to three weeks, and from there it should just be a couple more weeks before owners are officially running Android apps on their PlayBooks (devs will need a bit of time to bring over their apps and I'm sure RIM will want to ramp up a bit of marketing hype behind it too). So late August/early September still seems to be in the cards vs. late fall. 

So as of now, I say don't panic! If for whatever reason by the end of August we haven't seen RIM roll out access to developers, then I'll more seriously start to worry about delays.

It's no secret that Research In Motion has plans to release an official Android app player for the BlackBerry PlayBook, the only question is when. Last month brought a leaked version, and though buggy, it does work. RIM was quick to make an official statement regarding the leak, saying:

"An older version of the Android App Player beta software for the BlackBerry PlayBook was inadvertently posted and has since been removed. We recommend that users refrain from downloading and installing this software since it is outdated and non-functional in many respects. The official beta release of the Android App Player for the BlackBerry PlayBook is on track for release later this summer."

We've all seen delays related to the PlayBook already, so it's likely no surprise to anyone that the Android app player may be delayed as well. Engadget revealed today they have a reliable source telling them this feature is now pushed back to late fall. No word on why this is being said, but hopefully it's for good reason like waiting for the 3G PlayBook to hit shelves or adding in a bunch of really cool features we haven't heard about yet ;-)

Source: Engadget

Two nights ago, I installed the leaked Android App Player on to my BlackBerry PlayBook. It was an arduous process that involved several hours of researching, finding bad or poorly worded instructions, and downloading hundreds of megabytes worth of SDK's (note the plural) and a JRE and a JDK and this and that. That's a lot of work to install a resource-hogging, semi-functional application. Nevertheless I am amazed.

I am amazed, not necessarily at the application itself, but the ideas it represents. The first is the more apparent of the two. The Android App Player doesn't just emulate or represent the Android operating system. It is the Android operating system. Android exists as a virtual machine on the PlayBook tablet. Most people don't run virtual machines on their home computers, let alone a "mere" tablet.

As best I can figure, the BlackBerry PlayBook is the first tablet to run multiple operating systems simultaneously. More than that, bringing the Android OS to the PlayBook represents a fundamental shift in the app ecosystem. If the Mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain.

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Earlier today, the Android App Player for the BlackBerry PlayBook leaked out and as expected, you really can't do much with it aside from have some fun just poking around. Since the time I did up this video, folks have now found out you can in fact use the Android SDK to install some apps but given the buggy nature of the Android Player -- not all apps will work. If you decided to pass on downloading it, check out the video abouve to see what you're missing. If nothing else, take joy in knowing the BlackBerry PlayBook has a newer version of Android than 81% of Android users.

Notice the new BB logo on App pages? It's likely we'll see an Android logo for Android Apps 

This morning's BlackBerry PlayBook OS update brought with it a number of feature improvements, most of which were highlighted in the update note RIM sent out. But beyond that, keen eyes have been observing other changes, some of which are pretty noticeable (like the big boost of free working memory) and others which are more subtle.

One of these subtle changes is the new BlackBerry logo that's popped up on app pages within BlackBerry App World. Looking at the image above, what I'm talking about here is that little guy in the top left corner. That wasn't there before. Now it's there. WHY??! To me the reason for this addition is pretty logical. It's in preparation for the support of Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook. Remember, Android developers will have to submit their Android apps to App World (effectively making them BlackBerry developers and BlackBerry apps), but since the apps will run via the Android App Player, it's important that RIM denote within App World to customers what it is an Android app vs. what is not (especially since based on the demo we saw it seems like you may initially be only have one Android app running at a time in the App Player). I'm expecting that once Android Apps showing up in App World, you'll see this new little BlackBerry logo turn into an Android logo for Android apps.

I guess we'll know with time... but I'm betting that's the case (if I'm wrong we'll make up for it with a contest). So what do you think? Android logos coming soon to a BlackBerry near you?