Adobe AIR SDK for BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet Released; Flash on BlackBerry Smartphones to be Announced Today?

This morning, BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion (RIM) and Adobe announced at Adobe’s MAX conference in Los Angeles, new Adobe AIR development tools for the upcoming BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and RIM’s BlackBerry Tablet OS.

The Adobe AIR utilities for the BlackBerry PlayBook are available immediately, and they’ll allow prospective PlayBook developers who already employ AIR to get started on crafting apps for RIM’s PlayBook mobile tablet computer, which is expected to be listed for download sometime in the first half of 2011. Developers will be able to submit PlayBook apps to RIM for approval and eventual distribution through BlackBerry App World before the end of 2010, according to RIM.

The BlackBerry PlayBook with BlackBerry Tablet OS supports Adobe AIR 2.5 and Adobe Flash Player 10.1, according to RIM. And the BlackBerry-maker says the AIR SDK for PlayBook integrates new extensions for Adobe AIR that have been optimized for the BlackBerry Tablet OS.

More specifically, the BlackBerry Tablet OS SDK for Adobe AIR provides the following:

• ActionScript UI components built specifically for the BlackBerry PlayBook

• API Reference docs

• A plug-in for Adobe Flash Builder 4.0

• Packaging and signing tools

RIM also released BlackBerry PlayBook tablet simulator software, for both Windows and Mac OS X, so developers can begin testing their applications. https://na.blackberry.com/eng/developers/tablet/index.jsp?IID=DEVDS01

Interested developers can download the new SDK today and visit RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook Adobe AIR SDK getting started guide for more details. And RIM will host a series of webcasts on the new SDK, starting November 5, to help developers get up and running.

On a related note, RIM may also have another major announcement up its metaphorical sleeve for today: the company’s official Twitter feed this morning told followers to “Follow @BlackBerryDev today for exciting announcements at #AdobeMAX in L.A. RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis will be speaking!”

Both RIM and Adobe have said on multiple occasions that Flash support will be coming to BlackBerry smartphones in 2010. But neither company has uttered much more than a peep on the subject since January at CES.

As pointed out on BerryReview.com, the Adobe MAX conference currently taking place in LA seems like it would be a natural place for the Flash-on-BlackBerrys announcement to be made. Mike Lazaridis is speaking, which could imply some fairly significant announcement. And if RIM and Adobe are going to meet their goal of getting BlackBerry Flash support out the door before the end of the year, such an announcement will have to be made in the very near future.

Visit the official BlackBerry developer blog for more details on the PlayBook Adobe AIR SDK and the other tools released today. And follow RIM’s developer team on Twitter to stay up to date on any more developer-related announcements that may be made at Adobe MAX

AS

Al Sacco covers Mobile and Wireless for CIO.com. Follow Al on Twitter @ASacco. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline. Email Al at ASacco@CIO.com.