Yesterday Kevin had an opportunity to sit down with Michael Clewley, one of the Project Managers of the PlayBook team at Research In Motion, about the launch of PlayBook OS 2.0. Held over video chat on the BlackBerry PlayBook, Kevin asked Michael about not only the launch of the new OS and some of the new features, but also about the future of PlayBook OS 2.0 and where it fits in on the road to BlackBerry 10. Since then, Kevin has decided that all interviews on CrackBerry should be conducted over video chat, because it rocks! If you didn't get a chance to watch the interview, you'll want to make sure you take the time to do so. However, if you can't commit to almost 27 minutes, we cover the main points for you after the break.

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Just a few hours after the BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2 download became available, I had the chance this morning to get some interview time with one of the hardworking Product Managers on the PlayBook team, Research In Motion's Michael Clewley. Instead of doing the standard 'ole over the phone stuff, we kicked things up a notch and connected Waterloo to 'Peg City (aka Winnipeg) via the newly-updated Video Chat app on the PlayBook.

Above you can watch the 26 minute interview (written follow-up summary to come) in its entirety. I was going to edit this down shorter, but I know our CrackBerry Podcast fans would be mad if I did. We go through a lot of OS 2 topics during this one, starting off with the 5am EST launch time. i thought RIM just wanted to get me out of bed early this morning but it turns out they picked that time so they could launch globally on the same date. Smart.

From there we walk through some of the new features hitting the PlayBook in OS 2. We get some clarification on where PlayBook OS 2 sits along the road in the migration to BlackBerry 10. We talk about closing the app gap and the Android app experience on PlayBook OS 2. We get into PlayBook in the enterprise and we also talk about content on the PlayBook. We cover a lot, so sit back, relax and enjoy the show... err.. video chat!  

At CES we got to check out the updated video chat client on the BlackBerry PlayBook, and with today's launch of OS 2.0, everybody can get in on the action. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that this is the app that has seen the most dramatic change out of everything that's new. Now video chat contacts are pulled in from social networks that are registered on the tablet. Each friend also has online and offline status shown clearly, so you can know whether or not to even start calling in the first place. You can even edit the information for those contacts as you would in the new stand-alone native address book. Speaking of which, you can launch into video chat from the address book, too. There's also a new Presenter mode which lets you shunt a video call out to a larger screen over HDMI while flipping through other apps and notes on your PlayBook.   

There are certainly some key use cases for video chat on the PlayBook. For example, moms who don't know much about technology, feel like they need a tablet, and have a kid studying abroad that already has a PlayBook. While I'm not convinced that video chat will be little more than a novelty, especially without hooks into external networks like Skype, it's great to see the existing service on the PlayBook improving. How often do you guys video chat? Who do you talk with? Is it worth RIM's while to invest in this area, or should they just get in bed with Skype?  

The more time I spend at CES 2012 playing with PlayBook OS 2.0 and talking to others who have gone hands-on with it (and I'm talking people here who are not BlackBerry users and are walking away impressed), the more I'm getting really positive again about the future of BlackBerry. Between the awesome implementaton of native email and calendar and unique features like BlackBerry remote control functionality and BlackBerry Balance, it's showing there's a lot of innovation and great thinking happening at RIM. With PlayBook OS 2.0 leading the way into BlackBerry 10, things will be looking really great come time for BlackBerry 10 phones.

One other area that RIM has made progress on in PlayBook OS 2.0 is with the Video Chat client. You'll want to check out the video above to see it in action, but what I'm loving here in addition to some UI tweaks are two awesome feature additions. The first is automatic detection of chat contacts. By leveraging RIM's NOC infrastructure, they automatically scan the address book to match addresses to BlackBerry IDs, thus auto-populating the list of people you have BlackBerry devices with video chat capability. And secondly, there is now presence awareness, showing you when people are available to chat or not. Definitely welcome features that I can't wait to take advantage of on the PlayBook, and even more so on BlackBerry 10 phones. 

Back when the weather was warmer, we looked at an extremely versatile alternative to the Video Chat on the BlackBerry PlayBook. This alternative comes in the form of ePhone Anywhere by Comwave. In case the name is new to you, ePhone gives you free voice and video calling between ePhone users. “So what” you say? Well ePhone users can also call those who are on a Mac or PC! The service is available in nearly 60 countries and for a low cost as well. Since the BlackBerry PlayBook OS update a few weeks ago (to version 1.0.8.4985), BlackBerry PlayBook users haven’t been able to enjoy ePhone as much as they would like to. Comewave reached out to us to give everyone an update. Here is what they had to say:

Comwave has identified and RIM has confirmed a bug in the current release 1.0.8 with respect to flash rendering.  An OS patch is required but we have no ETA from RIM.  That being said, Comwave has produced a patch that works around this bug and it will be available in the next 24 hours.  Users simply need to launch ePhone and the patch will be pushed to them automatically.

It turns out that the OS release for BlackBerry Playbook causes ePhone to crash after it launches a SECOND time.  RIM has acknowledged the issue is with the latest OS and they are working on it. Since the latest version was released (1.08.6067), things seem to be back to normal.  If you are an ePhone user, let us know what your experience has been like recently.

More information/download ePhone for the BlackBerry PlayBook

So besides the amazing Video Chat feature that PlayBook users have, there aren’t many other options available in order to reach out and touch someone. Skype is not officially available for the PlayBook at this time though workarounds do exist. In fact, a response found on their site pointed out that “We currently have no plans for the PlayBook…Hopefully the PlayBook will be a hit for RIM, and if so we will create a version of Skype for the product at that time.” You’ve got to love how vague that is.

Not too long ago, we received an email about Comwave ePhone. Currently in beta, ePhone can make/receive phone calls directly from your PlayBook! They do have a free 3 day trial period; where you can play around with 100 minutes, followed by an annual subscription of $20 if you decide to keep the service. With your subscription you get 250 minutes per month to use to call 57 countries. In the trial period, and with your subscription, you also get:

• Our own number
• Unlimited incoming calls
• Free ePhone to ePhone voice and video calling

The mic and speakers on the PlayBook are both excellent to use if you are doing a conference call, but you may look like an idiot holding it up to your face to chat one on one. You can also visit shopcrackberry.com to pick up a handy headset or two. You can grab Comwave ePhone from BlackBerry App World.

More information/download ePhone for thr BlackBerry PlayBook

Looking for a video chat option that you can use for BlackBerry PlayBook to computer chats? Try out AV, a new video chat service from AIM. Since it's browser based, there is no need to install an app. Simply browse to the website on your PlayBook or computer, agree to the terms, and click Start. You're given a URL to share with up to 3 of your friends. Send the URL to whoever you want to video chat with, they agree to the terms, and you're instantly connected! There is no set up and no account is required. You can invite friends instantly via AIM or Facebook, or use the old fashioned copy/paste method.

This is a great option for those of you that don't have a PlayBook but have a computer, or vice versa, or if you want to have group chats with your other PlayBook owning friends. The site is still in beta, but from the tests I've done it works really well, so give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below!

To get started with AV by AIM

BlackBerry Video Chat is here! That holy grail once denied to we BlackBerry users is finally within our grasp, at least for PlayBook users. With an update to the PlayBook OS delivered in the wee hours of the morning, those owners gained the ability to see and talk to people hundreds of miles away. All from a device that weighs less than a pound.

Connecting to another PlayBook user is meant to be easy; all you'll need is their BlackBerry ID. Once you've opened the Video Chat application, touch New Contact (located in the upper left). If you want to add a person as a contact, enter the BBID and a nickname if desired. You can also choose a picture from your PlayBook or bridged BlackBerry to serve as that person's avatar. Click done (in the upper left) to save that person as a contact.

To start a call, simply touch that person's name in your contact list. The call will start automatically. The person being called will get a notification and the option to answer, answer without video, or decline the call. If you're unavailable for a video call, set Video Chat to Do Not Disturb. Touch the white circle in the upper left to activate; it will turn red when Do Not Disturb is on.

It would be wonderful if all of this worked perfectly on day one; unfortunately, there have been some glitches.

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This morning's BlackBerry PlayBook OS update to version 1.0.3.1868 brought with it a number of updates, including BlackBerry Video Chat!! The Video Chat app allows BlackBerry PlayBook owners to... well.. you know.. chat over video with each other. Gone is the phrase What's your pin? when it comes to adding contacts. Instead, the big question from now on is What's your BBID? Enter in a person's email address tied to their BlackBerry ID account and you can easily call up a contact. There's no availability status at this time, so for it to work you're both going to have to have your PlayBooks turned on and in WiFi coverage (calling somebody not online will result in a Contact Not Available message). The person you're calling doesn't need to be in the Video Chat app though as long as their PlayBook is turned on (it can be sitting with the display off in standby) and WiFi-connected - even with the PlayBook display off and the Video Chat not open it will wake the display and you'll get a notification of the incoming call and can accept it and begin to chat. 

With the call connected we've found the video to be really smooth so far. WiFi coverage at BlackBerry World can be pretty spotty with 6,000 people all carrying multiple devices fighting for signal, but out of 10 calls so far we've found it to be more than acceptable in terms of smoothness. Talking to some of the other bloggers and writers in attendance, the word is it's way better than anything video chat on Android and looks to be as good or even better than Facetime on iOS (the PlayBook's video quality is really top notch thanks to the awesome camera and display). I really like the fact you can use either the front facing or rear facing camera during video chat. You can also do audio-only calls (no video), and set yourself to Do Not Disturb if you want to ensure nobody interrupts you. Overall the experience is quite impressive and we're sure it's only going to get better as RIM continues to work on it. We have run into some issues with trying to connect a couple calls where the error message "A firewall is preventing a Video Chat connection." We're not quite sure exactly what the situation is that can cause that to happen but we're going to figure it out. Stay tuned.

Check out the video above to see Adam and I call each other. It's a good ole video chatting time. Awesome stuff RIM. Keep the PlayBook updates coming. This device just keeps getting better and better and better!

While the General Session for BlackBerry World has yet to take place, President and Co-Chief Executive Officer Research In Motion, Mike Lazaridis has been dropping plenty of details about upcoming services launching on the BlackBerry PlayBook -- stopping just short of divulging to much right away. One of the services discussed was Video Chat for the PlayBook, where Mike dropped the following on us all:

• Video Chat is maintained in the cloud and utilizes the RIM NOC
• Initialized from the cloud but once connected is point-to-point
• Developers will gain access to API that will allow integration with BBM Social Platform
• Uses BlackBerry ID to locate friends and contacts
• Will work behind corporate and individual firewalls
• Newly developed SIP based system acts as he controller

As noted, these are some of the behind-the scenes technical details and may not mean much to a lot of folks but looking past that and taking it for what it is -- technical info. It does show RIM has placed a lot of thought on the video feature and how best to implement it for all. Makes that wait for its release just that much worse, knowing the work that was put into it.

We heard earlier today that a new OS update for the BlackBerry PlayBook would be made available as early tonight and now we have some details as to just what will be included in the new software. OS 1.0.3 will include both the much anticipated video chat as well as BBM (via Bridge). Document editing via Bridge is a new feature that will allow users to edit documents stored on your phone via the PlayBook, and also users will now have the ability to create browser bookmarks on the homescreen for one-click access.

The update is scheduled to roll out later this evening and should be fully available by Tuesday. To check for the update, go to Settings > Software Update on your PlayBook (or just wait for the notification). Keep reading for full details on all the included features. 

Source: Inside BlackBerry 

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BlackBerry PlayBook 101: How to setup Video Chat on your BlackBerry PlayBook

The BlackBerry PlayBook brings some awesome new features that we as BlackBerry users have never used on the platform before. Perhaps one of the biggest is video chat. While we haven't actually been able to play with it at all, we have briefly seen it on devices. Kevin came across it during CTIA and nearly had it fired up before getting denied use. so while we hope it's on there at launch, we're not too positive that we'll see video chat right off the bat. In any case, when we do get access to it, this brief tutorial will help get you up and running with video chat on your BlackBerry PlayBook. It is super easy to setup and once you're done you'll be able to quickly chat with other PlayBook users. Let's get going!

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