[rotorwrench]

More info from Bla1ze on the upcoming Bridge update, for those of you too lazy to read the CB News Pretty cool stuff.


"You'll have to roll with me on this one, as I really don't have "documentation" to show it as fact but word around Waterloo is that RIM has been working hard on the next BlackBerry PlayBook OS update along with an update for BlackBerry Bridge. Right now, we're hearing the OS for the PlayBook is sitting at version 2.1.0.460 while BlackBerry Bridge is sitting at version 2.1.0.3. So what changes has RIM been working on? A few actually:

BlackBerry Bridge 2.1 - Now offers you the ability to choose Text Messages as a category from the BlackBerry Bridge folder on your PlayBook.

Bridge Over Wi-Fi - You can now seamlessly connect your BlackBerry Smartphone to your PlayBook over a Wi-Fi connection


Needless to say, that's not all the changes that are forthcoming. There will be plenty more but those are some of the highlights we've been hearing most recently. As it stands, there is no date for this to be released or if the versions noted here are final, they could go higher before actual release but the information was worth sharing with you all."

[sputneek]

Yeah, I read it, I was waiting for plenty more in the last update, not being pessimistic but I won't be holding a slumber party this time around. I'll just let myself be pleasantly surprised

[homer1475]

Anyone who waits around for an OS update and has a slumber party for it, needs to get a life.

[papped]

Mmmmm, bridge over wifi.......

That would be a huge improvement.

[axllebeer]

Looking forward to it for sure.

[Rello]

Texting via bridge will be huge....but I don't know if people understand how useful bridging thru will be. If I'm not mistaken, or should make the whole experience much more enjoyable as speeds would be faster than what they ever could be thru bluetooth due to the limits of bluetooth 2.1.

[CrackBB.com]

Looking forward to this for sure! But i still think SMS through Bridge had to be there since day 1.

[byul]

Many things could be there already since day 1.

[BB_Bmore]

"open up" videos, now that would be cool! I can assume they are working so hard on 2.1 because it will coincide with a playbook 4g launch. I'm thinking 2.1 will have alot of what people have been asking for. There was talk at BBW of a beta release at the end of this month. I sure hope so. Multi tasking android is also coming along with 2.1. That's gonna be sweet. Camera api for devs means more apps for us...ahhhhh the playbook.....it's like a fine wine. It just gets better and better with time.

[goku_vegeta]

Anyone who waits around for an OS update and has a slumber party for it, needs to get a life.

Hey! To each their own

[trsbbs]

Many things could be there already since day 1.

I agree, The new PB owners do not seem to understand that some of us
have been waiting over a year for such a simple thing as texting.

I will like it when it's on my PB and phone and working.

Until then this is just more of the same, "its coming".

I thank the source for the information though.

Tim

[howarmat]

the bridge over wifi is interesting. I trying to think of ways where this is actually an advantage or useful.

I get that it would speed up bridged email but not really seeing other things really.

[blusls]

Good stuff. Looking forward to wireless bridging as well.

[robsteve]

the bridge over wifi is interesting. I trying to think of ways where this is actually an advantage or useful.

I get that it would speed up bridged email but not really seeing other things really.

With the current Bridge we cannot "show on PlayBook" videos. The ability to shoot HD video with the phone and then stream it on the bigger PlayBook screen would be possible with a wifi connection.

[TheScionicMan]

the bridge over wifi is interesting. I trying to think of ways where this is actually an advantage or useful.

I get that it would speed up bridged email but not really seeing other things really.

How about being able to open Videos with "Open on my PlayBook"or transferring files between the two Blackberry devices?

I wonder if the can tweak the Mobile Hotspot to just be a wifi connection between symbiotic devices

[howarmat]

the videos and files would be good to i agree. I guess i was thinking you could do the files over wifi anyway without bridge

[papped]

Main things about bridge over wifi is speed and range. You could easily exceed BT range with wifi (also being able to use higher bandwidth while browsing is a large plus of course).

Also you don't have to toggle an additional radio if you already have wifi on (which the PB always does). I never toggle BT on my PB except for bridge...

[kb5zht]

I will like it when it's on my PB and phone and working.

Until then this is just more of the same, "its coming".

Amen.... Where is that fully functional BBM by the way?

[QuantumFish777]

Well these additions would be very handy, and I for one, look forward to it.

I wonder why they are adding wifi for bridging though, since it uses alot more power than Bluetooth?

EDIT

Main things about bridge over wifi is speed and range. You could easily exceed BT range with wifi (also being able to use higher bandwidth while browsing is a large plus of course).

Also you don't have to toggle an additional radio if you already have wifi on (which the PB always does). I never toggle BT on my PB except for bridge...

That answers my question, should've read the posts above more carefully.

Still, this is all about making the Playbook more versatile and I like it!

[howarmat]

Main things about bridge over wifi is speed and range. You could easily exceed BT range with wifi (also being able to use higher bandwidth while browsing is a large plus of course).

Also you don't have to toggle an additional radio if you already have wifi on (which the PB always does). I never toggle BT on my PB except for bridge...

OOh that is a good one. Range would be much more. That alone would be worth it i would say

[Rello]

the bridge over wifi is interesting. I trying to think of ways where this is actually an advantage or useful.

I get that it would speed up bridged email but not really seeing other things really.

Ummm...well i guess one thing it would make easier would be playing music stored on your smartphone thru your playbook. it should make the buffering time much shorter if im not mistaken

*sorry, posted this without reading others posts*

[ralfyguy]

I wonder if the tethering via bridge will be run through wifi as well. That should speed up the speed as well.

[chaddeus]

People still use SMS often nowadays??

- Charles

[TheStoof]

Texting via bridge will be huge....but I don't know if people understand how useful bridging thru will be. If I'm not mistaken, or should make the whole experience much more enjoyable as speeds would be faster than what they ever could be thru bluetooth due to the limits of bluetooth 2.1.

Easy. I want to be able to do everything on my PB until I get a real BB10 device.

BB6/7 are awesome, but I loooove QNX.

[dynot]

I wonder why they are adding wifi for bridging though, since it uses alot more power than Bluetooth?

I always thought bluetooth uses much more power. In any case, that's one less connection I have to keep always on so it should help reduce battery charges.