We've known for a little while that a new version of the PlayBook would be coming out soon. What we didn't know though is that this new PlayBook could possibly be LTE enabled. Back in late January, a leaked RIM slide showed plans for the release of a 3G-enabled PlayBook in April. Today, this seems to have taken a turn for the better for users. The above screen shot shows the PlayBook LTE release as being scheduled for early-April. Let's hope this plans don't change and we can get our hands on a nice LTE PlayBook!

The most popular Twitter app on the BlackBerry PlayBook has received an update today that will make a lot of PlayBook users happy. Version 1.6 of Blaq was very solid, but Kisai Labs has decided to bring a lot of requested features to their users and we are pretty impressed to say the least. Check out the change log below.

What’s new?

• Portrait Mode
• Auto-correct and spell check
• LED notifications
  
  • New Tweets – White
  • Mentions – Blue
  • DMs – Green
  • Followers: Yellow
• TweetMarker support – Never lose your spot again! TweetMarker bookmarks your position in any client supporting it (must be enabled in Advanced Options > Services)
• Toggle Real-time streaming – This has been a HUGE request. Granted. Tap the real-time indicator to toggle.
• Favorited tweets – Swipe from the top bezel then tap the star
• Dedicated help section to make it easier to learn the ins and outs
• Saved Searches – Easily tap the star in your search field to add a new saved search. Tap a saved search then untap the star to remove it. It’s that simple!

If your a Hockey fan then you will be pleased to know about RIM latest partnership with the NHLPA. RIM has partnered with the National Hockey League Players' Association to bring you a first of its kind, in depth look at the lives of five top NHL Hockey players. The players, Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia Flyers), Bobby Ryan (Anaheim Ducks), Joffrey Lupul (Toronto Maple Leafs), Martin Biron (New York Rangers) and Michael Grabner (New York Islanders), will all take part in this new video series.

The new series will depict the players lives on and off the ice, and will be shot using the High Definition video camera of the BlackBerry PlayBook. The NHLPA Players' PlayBook will allow fans to do more than just watch a video. Fans will also be able to "call the shots". There will be a fan poll that will be held every Monday that will determine the "Fan's Choice Video". Question and answer sessions will be held each Wednesday that will allow the players to interact with the fans. To top the week off there will be an " Editors Choice Video", that will show some behind-the-scenes editing, and the editors favorite footage.

Some highlights include:

All of this sounds exciting, so if your a Hockey fan this will be the ultimate experience. Make sure you take some time to read the full press release, and visit the official website.

With the release of BlackBerry PlayBook tablet OS 2.0, native email and PIM (personal information management) apps are now included. The new Messages app offers a universal inbox and tightly integrates with the Contacts and Calendar apps as well as social networks to give you a BlackBerry communications experience that you’ll love on your BlackBerry tablet!

Using these apps, you can set up multiple email accounts in addition to Enterprise email - protected by BlackBerry Balance technology - which means you’ll have access to both personal and work information in one location.

To help get you started with managing your various email accounts, here are answers to some frequently-asked questions about the Messages app...

So my fellow blogger and good friend robyntheginger and I were testing out the new video chat app in the PlayBook OS 2.0 today and we found a couple of goodies that needed to be shared.

Camera view location. We saw that upon pressing on our own camera view and dragging it, we could actually move the location/position of it to any of the four corners of the screen. You do this by simply dragging the view up, down, right, left or even diagonally across the screen. I personally thought that was pretty awesome and a nice little Easter egg that was left for us die-hard BlackBerry users to find.

[So apparently this isn't new in 2.0 but I still didn't know it was possible] > Pinch to zoom. There's also another little bit of interaction we can have with our own camera views: Pinch to zoom. Pinching in anywhere on the screen will make the view smaller, while pinching out will increase the size of it instead. Some people are a little shy when it comes to seeing themselves on camera or simply want a bigger view of what the other is seeing. In these cases, the pinch to zoom camera view definitely helps.

As we dig into OS 2.0 more in the next few days/weeks, I'm sure we'll find more and more things to share with you guys. I do wonder what the next little Easter egg will be.

• Continue reading tutorial and discuss in the forums

[UPDATE] It seems both of these games were made free to PlayBook users compliments of RIM. The titles have been updated to reflect this in App World. No specific reason as to why RIM did this but hey, we're grateful!

Gameloft has made two of its most popular games, Asphalt 6 Adrenaline HD and Modern Combat 2, available to PlayBook users for free. I personally love A6A. It's a great racing game that's a little more easy to use than Need for Speed which is what's made me like it the most. Make sure you get these games right now because we're not sure how long they will be free for everyone.

One update that kind of went under the radar yesterday was an update for the BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac OS. This update provides improved BlackBerry PlayBook support and OS 2.0 compatibility. There are also a number of fixed issues as well. So if you have a Mac OS you should make sure that you get this update.

Here is a list of fixed issues:

Installation/Connection

Previously, if you had two BlackBerry devices (smartphones or tablets) connected to the BlackBerry Desktop Software, and you disconnected one device by pulling the USB cable while the other device was synchronizing data, the BlackBerry Desktop Software stopped syncing data with the connected device. (DT 2387805)

Previously, if you had BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.1 installed on your computer and you installed BlackBerry Device Manager 2.2, when you connected your smartphone or your tablet to your computer, the BlackBerry Desktop Software did not launch automatically. (DT 2055040)

Pictures

Previously, if an album in iPhoto had a large amount of pictures (20,000), CPU and memory usage spiked when you opened the BlackBerry Desktop Software. (DT 1042729)

Previously, if you optimized your pictures to sync to your device, the time stamp was changed. (DT 805107)

• Download BlackBerry Desktop Software for Mac OS
• Discuss this in the forum

• Discuss What PlayBook Features Work With/Without WiFi in our Forums

By now you have probably heard about RIM's release of the highly anticipated BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0. For months now, all anyone in the BlackBerry community could do was talk about PlayBook OS 2.0. Rumors and guesses of when it would be released had everyone on their toes, and had others running out of patience. They say good things come to those who wait. Was this the case with PlayBook OS 2.0? Did RIM deliver on what so many have been waiting for? After spending some time with the PlayBook OS 2.0 this is my review.

With the new release of OS 2.0 today, it also looks like WordPress has officially launched their app for PlayBook. The all new WordPress for PlayBook app allows you to write posts, edit pages, and manage comments on the go. Both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress (2.9.2 or higher) sites are supported. Download the app and start blogging on the go in no time.

Kisai Labs the creative minds behind the popular BlackBerry PlayBook Twitter app Blaq, have added their talents to developing Cloudee. If your're a mac user you will find that this app may be something you have been waiting for quite some time. Cloudee was created to address its creator Jerome Carty, inability to access his Mac's CloudApp account.

The end results are Cloudee, a CloudApp client for the BlackBerry PlayBook. CloudApp is a Mac application that allows you to share your screenshots, bookmarks, and photos.

Take a look at some of the apps features and planned features:

Features:

- View files from your CloudApp account
- Download files to your PlayBook from CloudApp
- Upload new files from your PlayBook to CloudApp
- View bookmarks right within the app
- Send files to and empty trash

Planned features:

- Post to social networks (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr)
- Auto-upload screenshots
- More as they come along

Keep in mind the app is currently in beta, and is available for those beta testers in Kisai Labs Test Lab.

If you're like me and always on the go, MapSearch for BlackBerry PlayBook by Sandsoft may be the app for you! Google Maps allows you the ability to search address around you to find coffee shops, restaurants, and businesses. MapSearch is built with Google Maps V3 Javascript API which makes it manageable for mobile environments. This full screen map application is perfect for finding directions to your desired location. Some awesome benefits of the free app include:

Or you can pay $2.99 and get all the features of the free app, plus:

So the next time you need a map to figure out where exactly you've managed to get yourself lost, like I do on a regular basis, pull out your trusty PlayBook and use MapSearch to guide you.