BlackBerry Playbook Apps and Other Cool Things to Know
For reading e-books and getting library books.
You will need:
your library card number and a PIN associated with it.
to get a free Adobe ID. Go to adobe.com and get a free adobe ID.
From AppWorld on your PlayBook, get:
Overdrive Media Console
Simple File Browser - required to browse for your own epub books that you copy onto the Playbook, but not needed for getting library books
The trick to finding your epub and/or pdf files on your PlayBook using "Simple File Browser" is to browse to: /accounts/1000/shared/. Here you will find the folders for documents, music, videos, etc.
A good site for free epub books is Project Gutenberg. Note: The latest version of Overdrive seems to have changed making it impossible to add a new website and difficult to add your own epub books. For reading your own non-DRM epub books I recommend Book Reader for EPUB and Kindle Books by Untangled Development. It is ony $0.99. Overdrive is still required for getting and reading e-books from your local library.
Password Management
For managing an ever increasing list of passwords, accounts, etc. I recommend this solution:
If you don't already have a DropBox account go to dropbox.com and signup for a free account. Install Dropbox on your PC and/or laptop.
On your home PC: Go to keepass.info and download KeyPass v1.24 (not v2).
Use the PC version to create one or more password files and add your various secret info to it. I chose to save my keypass file directly in my Dropbox folder on my PC. That way, every time I make a change it is automatically backed up on the Dropbox server and available for my PlayBook.
On your PlayBook: Go to App World and get:
BlueBox - this is the Dropbox app. (Note: May no longer work. Try sideloading Dropbox for Playbook and BB10 instead.
See below for instructions on sideloading an app.
OI File Manager - this is used by the Keypass app.
KPD - this is the app that can read keypass database files.
Once these are installed, open the BlueBox app and highlight your Keypass file (*.kpd) and choose to download it.
To find a password or other secure bit of information you can run the KPD app, and browse to the .kpd file you just downloaded.
(It should be in the folder Documents/BlueBox/YourName/.)
Remote Control Your Home PC
Ever been out and wish you could look at a file or look up a name in your home desktop computer. Use your
PlayBook to remote-in to your PC! (Requires a static public IP to your home router. There are free ways to do this!)
Download and install UltraVNC onto your desktop computer.
Configure your home router to redirect port 5900 to the IP address of your desktop.
Download and install "Free bVNC" onto your PlayBook.
Run bVNC and a new connection. You are now seeing and controlling your desktop computer on your PlayBook!
Other apps
A great place to find all sorts of Android apps that will run on your PlayBook is Good e-Reader
Doodle Shapes - Simple game that requires basic knowledge of the laws of physics to direct a ball into a container.
To use a Google Chrome extension to sideload apps, follow the instructions at Crackberry.com
Recommended Accessories
"Blurex Slim Leather Portfolio Case With 2 Tier Stand for Blackberry Playbook" - available at Amazon.com
Cool Things About Your Playbook
Download movies (in .mp4 format) to your PlayBook, connect the PB to your TV via an HDMI cable and watch them on the big screen.
Use your BlackBerry as a remote control. With the BB bridge running and connected, run the bridge app on your BB and choose the option to "Use Remote Control". Now you can control things like selecting, playing, pausing, etc. movies from your couch while the PlayBook is on the televison tethered to it via a HDMI cable.
Use the NFB (National Film Board) app to download movies for free to "view later". They will automatically expire after 48 hours and be deleted.
Connect and control your home PC from your PlayBook (described above).
Download audio, video, and ebook files to your PlayBook from your home PC without even connecting your PlayBook to the PC - files can be transferred to your PlayBook wirelessly. Instructions below.
Transfer Files Wirelessly
Tap setup icon (upper right corner)
Tab "Storage & Sharing" in list on left side of screen
Turn ON "File Sharing", "Wi-Fi Sharing" and "Password Protect"
Set a password
Tap "About" in list on left side
Select "Network" from the dropdown list
Note the IPv4 address (ignore the grayed out "/24")
On PC, run Windows Explorer and enter the following in the address line (use the IP you noted in the previous step): "\\192.168.0.113\media\"
When prompted to enter a Network Password, enter "playbook" for the username and enter the password you set on the playbook in a previous step.
The playbook can now be accessed like any other drive on your computer. Copy files to the appropriate folders as needed.