[kstock]

Did a quick search and didn't see a dedicated thread on this app... apologies if I missed it.

Sitting on my balcony (not the best place for stargazing) and using the Whats Up app for PlayBook, developed by our own fellow CrackBerrian, BuzzStarField, and it's excellent!!! If you are the least bit interested in stargazing it really is more than worth the dollar or two in AppWorld. (Sorry, I can't recall the exact price and am too lazy to look it up right now - or rather am too busy enjoying myself looking at the stars and pondering the universe ).

As I say, I didn't see a dedicated thread and wanted to post this to give credit where it's due, and to encourage other Crackberrians to check it out. Definitely the most useful and informative third-party app on my PlayBook!

Thanks Buzz!

[BuzzStarField]

Did a quick search and didn't see a dedicated thread on this app... apologies if I missed it.

Sitting on my balcony (not the best place for stargazing) and using the Whats Up app for PlayBook, developed by our own fellow CrackBerrian, BuzzStarField, and it's excellent!!!

Thanks Buzz!

Your're most welcome. My aim is to make every balcony a good place for stargazing.

I have to disagree on one point though. The app is pretty good but it's not excellent yet. It doesn't deserve the 5-star ratings that kind folks have been giving it until I can finish what I started - and for that I need access to that magnetometer chip.

The way I figure it, if Android apps running on the leaked player can use the compass, dammit my AIR app should be able to use it too! I shouldn't have to wait a few months for the NDK and then have to re-write my app in c++ to get it working the way it should.

So even if readers are not the least bit interested in astronomy, you can help all 3rd-party developers bring you amazing apps by writing an email to RIM marketing. We need API's for all that nifty hardware on the PB - magnetometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth and USB - and we need them now.

[Mojoski]

So even if readers are not the least bit interested in astronomy, you can help all 3rd-party developers bring you amazing apps by writing an email to RIM marketing. We need API's for all that nifty hardware on the PB - magnetometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth and USB - and we need them now.

I couldn't agree more! Do you have the proper contact info for where these types of messages should go?

And I'm assuming you are planning to make it so you can basically hold your Playbook up in the air, turn it around, and have the app automatically scroll around to show the relevant part of the sky, like an altered reality app, or whatever they call it now. That sounds absolutely awesome!

Where do I send my email to RIM?

[BuzzStarField]

I couldn't agree more! Do you have the proper contact info for where these types of messages should go?

And I'm assuming you are planning to make it so you can basically hold your Playbook up in the air, turn it around, and have the app automatically scroll around to show the relevant part of the sky, like an altered reality app, or whatever they call it now. That sounds absolutely awesome!

Where do I send my email to RIM?

The trouble with RIM is that it is difficult to find a contact who will act on a request. I do know that the following address has someone at the other end so I suggest sending a pointed message there on the off chance that he/she may forward the request to a listening ear (beg if you must):

[email protected]

I am certain that RIM marketing has not yet realized the opportunities that are being missed because they are ignorant about the allure of augmented reality apps. Apple and Google both have many astronomy apps that can do the things you describe in your post. You can also ask these aps to help you to find say, Venus, and arrows will appear on the screen to guide you to the right spot in the sky. But there are also apps that you can point at a store and find out what's on sale inside. Or you can point at a skyscraper and get a complete history. The possibilities are endless but the probabilities are nil if we don't have a compass.

As for Bluetooth and usb, I think it is fairly obvious why a programmer would want access to this hardware - the Poynt app is an excellent example of devices integrated via Bluetooth profiles and RIM APIs. Why can't I write an app like that? Marketing at RIM needs to be aware that without tools, independent developers can not make the apps that sell PlayBooks by the dozen.

And if anyone else has knowledge of other live email addresses at RIM, I would appreciate you posting the here.