How To Tips and Tricks For BlackBerry PlayBook Part 1

05/24/2011 Comments Off on How To Tips and Tricks For BlackBerry PlayBook Part 1 Blackberry Like

Tablet pc’s such as the BlackBerry PlayBook are quite user friendly but of course even the most experienced users have questions from time to time. I plan to write several “how to” type articles for various different tablets and figured I’d kick things off by covering tips and tricks for the PlayBook. Of course if you have any additional tips to add please comment below!

BlackBerry PlayBook Keyboard Shortcuts

Creating symbols

Note: makes no difference if you are using upper or lower case characters.

For the ™ trademark symbol simply tap and hold the “T” key
For the © copyright symbol simply tap and hold the “C” key
For the ® registered symbol simply tap and hold the “R” key

How To Setup BlackBerry Bridge

Using the BlackBerry bridge is very useful. It helps you sync data such as calendar dates and contacts for example between your PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphone in real-time.

Tap “Settings” on your PlayBook, select “BlackBerry Bridge“, then tap “Setup”.
Enter a desired name for your tablet then tap “Next“
Tap “Install Now” and have your smartphone ready nearby
On your smartphone launch BlackBerry App World
Tap “Menu” then select “Scan a Barcode“
Point your smartphone camera to the barcode on your PlayBook screen
Select “Download” to install BlackBerry Bridge on your smartphone
On your PlayBook tap “Continue“
Launch the bridge software on your smartphone and tap “Add Device“
Tap next then scan the barcode on your PlayBook tablet pc

If all is successful you should get a “Pairing Complete” message on your BlackBerry smartphone. Of course if you prefer there is always the manual setup option as well.

Quick Tip: Since the PlayBook doesn’t currently have a built-in spell checker, why not use your BlackBerry smartphone’s spell checker and open the document using the bridge software.

How To Change Your PlayBook Wallpaper

The pixel resolution for your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is 1024×600 however in order for your background to show up properly it’s best to use wallpapers that are sized at 1024×1024. Changing your wallpaper can be done in a few simple steps, here’s how!

Begin by opening up your “Pictures” app. Go to the location where your desired wallpaper is saved. By default pictures that you download can be found quickly in the “Download” folder. Of course you can always choose the “Wallpaper” album for stock images if you want.

Ok, now that you’ve picked a wallpaper you like simply swipe to reveal the top bezel which will reveal the option you need. In the top right corner there’s a “Set as Wallpaper” option. Tap that and you’re done. Just like that you’ve now customized your wallpaper.

How To Update Your BlackBerry PlayBook OS

Updating your PlayBook operating system is a lot easier than you might think. Of course it helps that the QNX based OS makes updating easier than ever. To complete this task simply follow these few easy steps.

Step 1: Swipe down the top frame
Step 2: Select “Software Updates” then tap “Download”
Step 3: Once the download is complete tap “Install”
Step 4: Once installation is complete tap “Restart”

Note: The first time you reboot after updating your BlackBerry Tablet OS typically takes longer than usual.

How To Upload YouTube Videos From Your PlayBook

The PlayBook YouTube client makes viewing videos easy. Yes, but it doesn’t include the option yet to upload videos that you’ve either downloaded to or taken with your PlayBook tablet. That’s ok, just follow these few quick steps to upload videos to YouTube directly from your PlayBook device.

Step 1: Login to your YouTube account
Step 2: Select “Upload” then choose the “Basic Uploader”
Step 3: Next, simply browse until you find your video and upload

Playlists & Organizing Music On Your PlayBook

How to add a song to your PlayBook playlist

Tap the song, album, artist or genre you want to add. Swipe down from the top frame then tap “Edit” and “Add”

Add playlists from your MAC, PC or laptop to your tablet

First of all connect your PlayBook to your computer via a USB cable. Once connected, open the BlackBerry Desktop Software on your computer. Next, click on “Music” and follow the simple instructions on how to add playlists which were created using music libraries such as iTunes or Windows Media Player.

How to delete songs from your PlayBook Playlist

First tap on PlayBook Playlist then tap “Edit“. Next, tap on the song or group of songs you want to get rid of then tap “Remove“.

I hope these few simple PlayBook tutorials help. Stay tuned for more to come. Also, as mentioned above don’t forget to share your tips and tricks in the comments section below!