USB support shown off on rooted BlackBerry PlayBook

on 13 Dec 2011 10:19 AM

[ youtube video link for mobile viewing ]

The DingleBerry tool for the BlackBerry PlayBook opens up all kinds of new possibilities for hardcore users everywhere. While there isn't too much you can do just yet, many PlayBook owners have had plenty of sleepless nights pushing the tablet to its limits and finding new things to do. One of which comes from eltecnoblog and shows off a rooted PlayBook with a USB support (much like what was shown off by the guys at TAT). As seen in the video above, the PlayBook is able to read a USB flash drive and play movies from it thanks to some hard work and a bit of hardware. It's definitely a great start and a good sign of what can be done on a rooted PlayBook. Check out the full video above, then drop a comment with your thoughts!

Discuss more in the forums

Source: eltecnoblog
Via: BerryReview

Filed Under: News & Rumors, BlackBerry Tablet OS; Tags: BlackBerry Playbook, DingleBerry, root

42 Comments

Posted by nievz Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Soldering gun ready. Now for the instructions...

Posted by Wence Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Could't you maybe get a micro-usb adapter, since there is one on the playbook?

Posted by Theme Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Lol, exactly what I thought. haha

Posted by uuglyindaface Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 165 days ago

ya, that should work...

Posted by the brother Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

i like it. please include in 2.0....thx buh bye

Posted by q649 Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Shouldn't something like this work?

http://www.amazon.com/USB-Micro-Female-Male-Adaptor/dp/B0023FTRUO

From the pic it looks like he simply connected the two shield grounds together.

Posted by seb.hebert Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Oh yeah! This is a benefit for sure!

Posted by tedescop Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

About time! This is a much needed option. Although a preferred micro SD slot would be great if there is a Playbook 2

Posted by tedescop Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

About time! This is a much needed option. Although a preferred micro SD slot would be great if there is a Playbook 2

Posted by AM42 Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Cool.

Tedescop - could you not just connect a micro SD adapter to a to the usb adapter?

Posted by Bold_until_Hybrid_Comes Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

And go where? My computer?

Posted by crwblyth Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Perhaps if you watched the video you may have realised that PlayBooks do not run Windows. As well as picking up this great bit of knowledge, it may have been possible for you to have picked up that not only Windows can recognise flash drives, and that apps have the ability to view folders - I know, shocking, isn't it?

Posted by tedescop Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

AM42 - You could connect the adapter but if you use a case or anything that closes the adapter will stick out. If you have a slot it would be built-in and not take up your usb port/charging port.

But it is a great feature to be able to add a usb flash drive. I actually have one of these adapters so I need to decide if its worth rooting my PB just yet.

Posted by captainbdsc Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Nice! Very cool :)

Posted by starfleet_k Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Excellent ... Now to dingleberry mine and my wifes playbook

Posted by tedescop Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Do the wife's first just to be safe. That's my plan. LOL

Posted by klkd Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

No post about the fact that rims q2 financial results were previewed and the stock is now at 15.70??

Posted by klkd Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

15.50 now, just when you think rim can go no lower... it does

Posted by BB-Bmore Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

rim needs to build a custom memory stick for just this.

Posted by Enri69 Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

So if some great people have managed to open new potential functionalities within the PB, what have RIM been doing during the last 9 months? Did they fire everyone from the PB development team?

Posted by balding1 Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Yeb last 2 were kick off the plane last month for being drunk.lol

Posted by NotSoCarnie Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Whoa! Crazy awesome. I cant wait to see what will happen when this gets fine tuned.

Any word on how the battery holds up when doing this?

Posted by Caspan Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Guys is a USB size changer, what is the real issue here? Essentially he took the female micro USB port and made it into a Female USB standard it didn't take soldering or anything fancy other then a simple device bought, yes he could have placed it on the end of the thumb drive but then he couldn't plug it into his computer. Let focus on the real thing here.... this is absolutely amazing we can do this on a rooted PlayBook. This will change the game going forward that we can use flash drives for storage and even cases that have built in SD card readers so you can just put your device in a case and you have a SD card slot. When you think about the possibilities this is jsut amazing!

Posted by fgoyti Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Time to plug in the 2TB external drive into the playbook ;)

Posted by saplight Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

Playbook with USB host = CAN REPLACE UMPC unit for ultramobile pro users !!
It's very very PRO FEATURE !!
IMPORTANT MUST!!

Posted by lcfut Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

aah, now i get it - had to think things through outloud before it made sense:

1. .create mount point on PB
2. edit config file to auto mount device to mount point when plugged in
3. plug in device

you will need access to the config file to make the change permanent after restarting the PB

nice.....

Posted by gregerator Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

RIM should have had this open to us already. If it's not in 2.0 I may root.

Posted by imcurved Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

+1.
RIM, if you read this, please enable this feature so I don't have to root. This feature will attract even more users.

Posted by nievz Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

yes, since you won't lose anything. you're not making any profit at $200, might as well not worry about the premium for 32 and 64 GB versions.

@all, sorry, i didn't know there was such an adaptor. that's great!

Posted by nievz Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

deleted 2x post

Posted by bounce007 Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 166 days ago

This is great!

Posted by jin-n-juice Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 165 days ago

I just ebayed a micro usb host adapter in preparation for this! Unfortunately Ill still have to wait the 3 weeks for it to come from china...

Posted by rjkolo Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 165 days ago

Dear RIM,

As a Christmas present to all PB owners you should include this feature in the 2.0 release AND give as all an adapter INSTEAD of these BS apps for free in App World. This would make up for not only the delayed launch of the PlayBook itself but also the delay of the release of 2.0.

Thank you,

Crackberry Nation

Posted by noname82 Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 165 days ago

playbook + 3TB external drive + this = Me Gusta

Posted by Rgainsmi Tuesday, Dec 13, 2011 165 days ago

Why can't RIM add these features? They are making RIM look like fools.

Posted by buckwylder Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 165 days ago

i always thought it would have been great if these adapters worked out of the box, without the need to "dingleberry" (lol) the playbook, for external usb hardware, not just storage drives

i remember Mike L mentioning "and support for usb" during devcon when discussing the playbook, so i figured he meant that was coming to us via 2.0

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Posted by gord888 Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 165 days ago

The code was already in the os, but not enabled for whatever reason. The dingleberry folks afent making anything new, but they afe enabling features the rim must have seen as "not ready".

Posted by zensen Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 165 days ago

If the playbook came with sd card integration and usb hosting. I would have got one on day 1. I'm still waiting for usb host but at least the rooted blackberry kinda shows u how its done :p

Posted by g_sus1 Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011 165 days ago

With this feature could I use a usb keyboard?