One thing that has always bothered me about the BlackBerry PlayBook and more so BlackBerry Bridge is the fact that when using BlackBerry Bridge, none of your apps actually make use of the data connection. You can't download apps from App World, you can't send a tweet off using Blaq and you can't use the browser -- unless tethered. Today though, with the new BlackBerry PlayBook OS update to v1.0.7.2942, something has changed. Third party apps such as Blaq, Poynt, Facebook even our very own CrackBerry PlayBook app -- all now work while bridged to your BlackBerry. Some apps are slower then others but, they do indeed work. One app that doesn't work however, is BlackBerry App World, but could this be a sign of it coming later? Could be, but it could also be a mistake within the OS as well.
Whatever the case may be, we certainly hope it stays and RIM actually improves upon this method of connectivity. Realistically, this makes more sense then "tethering" your BlackBerry using your carriers APN's and having them charge extra for it. Have you tried some apps? Cut off your WiFi, try Bridge and let us know which are or are not working. Sadly, it still appears AT&T is blocking the function but if you found a workaround, feel free to share that as well.
Source: @shahriyarali (1), (2)
Reader comments
Are your 3rd party apps working while bridged with the BlackBerry Playbook OS v1.0.7.2942?
By far the best upgrade so far, if they had done this since the beginning the PB launch would had been a total different story, and probably some of the lay outs would had been saved.
This upgrade changes everything available in the market as of now!!!
Great!
I need to send e-Mail with sheets to go.spread sheets need some help.
I finally have a reason to BRAG on the Playbook. To be honest, I have not shown mine off much because there were so many thing not working. This upgrade has given the PB some much functionality by allowing all the other application to connect through bridge. I just got back last night from a two day out of town trip and the PB was not much use during the trip. The upgrade this morning makes the PB very functional and I can use all my APP's through bridge. BEST UPDATE YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
all you who said this update was useless are prats lol
I still have the old data plan that is unlimited data on Bell Canada network. This is awesome....all my apps are working without wifi. The best update yet, until the android player comes out....eventually
Is anyone having trouble with Automatic Text?? Not working after the upgrade
we all keep having to look forward to something new....dont we all love that feeling.....i do....its like i have a brand new playbook...and get to play with all over again
I dont know if this is something I missed earlier, but has anyone else noticed that the Saved network list matches the saved list on your BB phone? I just noticed this large listing of places that I know my PB hasn't made it to yet.
It's been that way for ages maybe even from launch.
This single update has just increase the usability of my PB 100 FOLD!!!!
Wow, just in time for my roadtrip/camping trip! If my girlfriend and I can use mapapp or google maps on my playbook while on the road, this is going to be a DREAM!!!!
Thank you RIM and thank you Crackberry nation!
Has anyone tried the comwave ephone app bridged? If this works, I would then have a second phone with me, complete with phone number and free international calling. I'm still waiting for the 9860 to be released and my unlocked Verizon Storm 2 on Fido can only get EDGE (wish I'd done more research) which is so slow, it's not worth trying.
Just launched the Comwave Ephone. Was my last day of trial, hit the button to purchase, redirected me to a secure web site where I paid, ALL WHILE BRIDGED.
Said to wait 5 minutes to re launch the Ephone and am still trying.
Like you laserx, I can't wait to be rockin' BB 7 with a 9850/60.
I started with the Storm 9530, no Wifi, suffered all these years, but now am really hyped about BB.
I have HUGE expectations on a bridged PB: what about the apps BB Maps, VZ Navigator, Garmin, and Google Maps? Also, what about the feeds AP News, Reuters, WSJ, and Bloomberg ?
I wish this quirk/benefit would happen on mine. I'm on Sprint and in a 1XEV area. Yesterday had me thinking I saw my apps work as described, but no dice.... If it did, that would be awesome.
Did you update bridge on your phone? Are you on the latest release of the OS? I'm on Sprint too and it worked fine on a 1XEV.
By the way, are you sure of your signal?
1XEV: 3G with data
1X: 2G with data
1xev: 3G no data
1x: 2G no data
I updated bridge on my phone and I have full 3G data signal on Verizon.
If there is a update for bridge on the Playbook as well, I have not received it yet.
Is the update just for the Blackberry install? I have installed that Bridge update but have not been notified of an update to the Bridge software on my PB.
With the new version installed on my Blackberry, I am not able to use the Bridge to run my internet enabled apps on the Playbook. I have 3G data coverage where I am sitting on my 9930.
The update is for the Playbook OS. Download and install it. Bridge on the Playbook is part of the OS; it isn't a seperate app for the Playbook as it is for the phone.
Works great! Albeit a bit slow no doubt due to the signal but I am psyched so many apps that need WiFi now work when bridged!! The update was one of the smallest so far but it sure packed a punch! Thank you RIM!!!
Wow, amazing! I have to admit the few times I had to tether *and* bridge felt like overlaping to me..
Haven't seen anyone note this yet, but this makes PlayBook as a navigation tool a reality. Assuming I can get the GPS to sync I can now have a 7" GPS in car using Google maps or Magellan. Get an in-car mount and this would be awesome!
VEVO is actually working as well. I have a bb 9700 on T-Mobile bridged.
Wow! Perfect for those of us with unlimited data plans.
I love this feature, it's a good thing that I got my 6GB data plan from Rogers! Does anyone think RIM did this to buy more time for the Playbook with the cellular radio, because that is basically what a bridged wifi Playbook is now.
I believe this move was to prepare the playbook for the big update where Native Email and Native BBM will need to have a connection even without Wifi in order to keep working. This makes sense for them to do as having Native Email Client with no data source other than wifi would defeat the purpose and they know they would get hammered for it. So guys it is my believe that RIM is Preping for QNX2.0.
i live in a rural area and i must use my hotspot adaptor most of the time when i am out and about. now, i can left that piece of hardware at home. it seems like my playbook just got a new data plan. everything i needs works now!!! go Rim!!!!
awesome updated....Good job RIM..
its working now:
Yahoo Mail
Google
Hotmail
Accu weather
Navita Translator
Oanda Currency Converter
Kompas.com
Ed's Choice Kompas
Score Mobile
Maxis F1
News 360
ATP World Tour
Really awesome.....
RDM+ seems to be working ok, which is huge together w/ BlueBox :-) For the most part a non 3G tablet is now 3G here in Belgium...
Woohoo! Great update. My apps work.
- am very happy with this little change I was thinking just a week ago on a family vacation. The PlayBook needs to have apps work Thur the browser and well today it happened.
WOW I'm soooo happy the apps i tried all worked Native Browser, Facebook, Blaq, Youtube app, Bing Maps
Working - Poynt, ScoreMobile, Slacker, Pipeline Pro, iSpeech Translator, MapApp, Arc GIS Map View, Bing Maps, PlayBook Browser, Music Store
Not Working - Facebook, Twitter, Kobo, Antair Nightstand, BlackBerry Podcasts, App World
It's a good start. If it weren't for the fact the two programs that I'd use most are not working, I'd be deleriously happy with the update. Thanks, RIM.
@myotis: Facebook, Twitter, Podcasts and most of Kobo (not the store) - are working fine for me
Many things worked great on my VZW Bold 9930 with tethering and Unlimited Data.
When I tried it on a Bold 9650, unlocked and with an AT&T SIM in use, I get a message from AT&T telling me I need a tethering plan.
Man this is awesome!! It's still a little slow but who else can say they can use their tablet without wi fi and without paying for an additional data plan! Keep it up RIM!
Man this is awesome!! It's still a little slow but who else can say they can use their tablet without wi fi and without paying for an additional data plan! Keep it up RIM!
My PlayBook is now "always on!!!!" Awesome!!!!
This is huge. It was something I have asking for. I may have to get a PB (again)! See my CB post here: http://forums.crackberry.com/blackberry-playbook-f222/feature-i-require-...
Folks,
Where can I find the AT&T work around? Really hate that they are playing "spoiler" for such a great device. I did notice after I upgraded the bridge today some adobe file where opening weird. Any thoughts on this as well?
There is a sticky in the forums for the OTA bridge
Wow.
while i was bridged i was able to run both the bridge browser and the standard wifi browser at the same time. Before the update this could only be done connected to wifi and bridge.
Also, this is awesome because now bing maps can be used on the go!
Now the weather app needs gps capabilities now that it too can work on the go!
WeatherEye HD works, as does BlackBerry Podcasts which surprised me. best update so far :D
even my browser is working over bridge (and not the bridge browser) !!
Need App World to works via Tether or Bridge...
Never going to happen when you have to download 400 MB for the Dead Space game.
Great update but its going to piss off the carriers even more. Hopefully they don't follow AT&T and block or or start charging for it as well.
And the only way to stop AT&T is by threatening their T-Mobile acquisition. Write to your congressman and senator.
Truth be told, the PlayBook "taking the world by storm" (despite the potential we know it to have).
I am curious if carriers are really that concerned at this point (after seeing it's adoption rate) and this may be a good thing.
I liken this to multiple devices connected to your home router (gateway), the BlackBerry is still the gateway but a low percentage of users install an app on their phone to allow it to act as a gateway. Windows Mobile used to do this out of the box with 6.0 and 6.1 and it didn't seem to cause too much issue.
But... US carriers are more money hungry than ever and are increasing their arsenal to control our devices through deals with vendors. Thank God Comcast/Qwest, etc. don't have the ability to dictate the OS (approving/forcing only crippled and outdated versions), muscling Dell/HP/Toshiba to throttle their NICs to 5Mb and preventing certain apps from being downloaded from the only designated app store to run. On top of that ensuring that your system can only serve you well for a certain length of time yet only being able to work with their services... Wow this would suck... Oh wait, this is life in the US and Canada with our mobile phones!
With att works fine if using ota bridge.
i am from india here there are true unlimited plans. By far the best update ever , i hope dis feature is here to stay.
All I can say is wow. I'm typing this from my car, no wi-fi around, using the browser. The smallest update just also happens to be the best :-) On 8/31, I will be plunking down full price for a 9900 and 4G without blinking!!
While some of this may be an unintentional (somewhat unlikely but without confirmation we don't know) or they may be testing the waters with carriers (again plausible but somewhat unexpected).
I do believe this could be a precursor to native email and BBM as it would be less than useful (compared to our BlackBerry phones that is) if you needed a constant Wi-Fi connection and with no 3G/4G models confirmed to be picked up by carriers on the near horizon this almost had to happen but I wasn't quite expecting non-RIM apps to function (at least outside of BIS notifications etc.).
I fully anticipate OS updates and App World to require Wi-Fi for the long haul.
Great update, I am an ATT user and it works with the workaround posted on Crackberry, only app I noticed not working is the App World. When my contract is up I am leaving ATT, their greed in charging for bridge and their lack of unlimited data are it. Sprint will be my carrier when my contract is up...
So this is my favorite feature on any tablet by far, I loved the bridge already. This couldn't be any better for me. I just got my 9930 that I'm in love with and am typing on it now. I'm on unlimited data by sprint. I just got a 16% discount off my plan for being a realtor and I already have a Playbook. Really impressing me RIM!!!
working:
poynt
accuweather
blubox
slacker radio
bing maps
IMT VNC
score mobile
podcasts
and most importany the BROWSER!
not working:
app world
video chat
kobo books
definitely an AWESOME update!
Using a Bold 9930 with tethering plan on VZW, IMT VNC does work, but only when tethered. The Bridge Mode connection doesn't work for me.
I get an error message i/o error when I try to use IMT VNC.
Describe what you mean by accuweather working - for example, does the active radar display on your PB ?
It's such a great feature. Especially if you're on a carrier that still has unlimited plans.
I assume the App World limitation is by design, to avoid potentially large downloads of data that could eat into your data plan. Even before this update, App World only worked via WiFi for me and not when tethered (I mean real tethering, not BB Bridge).
Some insight into AppWorld: It appears to be tightly integrated with the browser. I had done some experimentation with it prior to today's change. My experiments were done from the bridge browser without any available WiFi connection. Occasionally I would click a link from crackberry to "learn more about this app" which would invariably be a link to appworld. When done over the bridge browser, it would cause the PHONE's AppWorld app to launch. Experimenting further, I could bounce between WiFi and bridged (using the direct and bridge browser) and launch app world on both devices by typing an application URL into the browser's location bar.
I'll leave it to someone else to figure out how this may be affected by today's changes. But those are my findings up until today.
Correct me if I'm wrong but, Could it be that app world doesn't work while bridged because then ppl like me outside the US would benefit from this since sometimes browsers detect the phone's ip address as one from Canada or the US? Then apps that are only meant for the US or Canada would be available for download.
App World doesn't even work when tethered via "internet tethering" App World is apparently designed to be ONLY avail when Wifi is present
I'm inclined to call that more of a feature than a bug...
I'm guessing its so people dont try and download big apps like NFS thru the phone
all apps work for me ,no need of wifi any more althou still a little to slow
its probably best that appworld doesn't last thing rim needs to do is piss off the carrier by having all that extra data being sucked by back dooring them
I agree
Best update yet. Yes, all apps are working via bridge. Only AppWorld doesn't.
Who said this update wasn't worth it!!!
I just tried Navita Translator and it worked well without wifi.
Wait, what? I don't understand. My PlayBook and BlackBerry are almost constantly bridged, and I have never had this problem. Both phone and PlayBook apps have always worked. Do you mean only when using bridge browser with no WiFi? I have not tried that. Unless I have completely misunderstood. Which is highly likely. :)
If you had both connected (like I do too) all of your 3rd party apps used to use wifi, but your bridge browser would use your bb. Now it's changed where everything can use your BB's data.
You can test this by leaving your PB and BB bridged, and turning off wifi.
Ahh I see! I always had both connected. Thanks for clarifying!
You are correct my friend everything is working via bridge. this is just genius on RIM's behalf. Can you imagine the savings that businesses will have. Not only that but companies like sprint will cash in with true unlimited. If I were them I'd offer it again to those buying Blackberrys because ven if we are able to bridge all our content is compressed so it still will help sprint not have to deal with the data starving iphone and android
Well played RIM, well played.
I am on a CDMA network and its working for me......hip hip .....
So far everything is working great for me. many apps work and both the bridge browser and the regular browser are working with my berry. if u turn off the wifi while browsing in the regular browser and you are bridged, the playbook will default now to the BB connection. likewise if you use the reg browser bridged and turn on the wifi, it will default back to wifi. I have has no issues at all. Running the Style 9670 on Sprint, (with unlimited data!) Yahoo! now thats what I'm talking about! Also I am currently on 1X and typing this on the regular Crackberry site, ( not mobile site ), bridged from my BlackBerry :)
really cause mine arnt. face book, google mapapp, blackberry news none are working could be because i am on a CDMA network and only have 1X??
Most likely the 1x is your problem. With CDMA, usually you need XEV or 3g to support data.
makes sence. just thought causr my bb has data no problem it would work. guess im stuck only useing my wifi... damn bell update my area already
yahoo!!!!!!!
I have been enjoying the bridge perk all day!
Working:
1. Blaq
2. Crackberry App
3. Slacker App
4. Blackberry News
5. Reddvin
6. Blackberry Music Store
7. Box.net app
8. BlueBox
9. News 360
10. GeeReader
11. Lexulous
Actually...everything I have tried to use so far that needed connectivity has functioned properly
This is the BEST UPDATE for PB so far!!!
AT&T can take their $40 tethering plan and shove it!
Hope they don't take this away from us!! :s
Ian
Torch 9800 & PlayBook 64GB Wifi
I understand why everyone is happy and how cool is this feature, but what if you don't have an unlimited data plan and you don't want the playbook to eat your data causing extra charges?
I alwasy have my PB and BB Bridged, I have found the Playbook's Wifi kind of buggy so unless they have also improved it with the firmware I can easily see the playbook's wifi hanging and then using my BB data without me noticing, until /I get my carriers invoice... :-(