Event Coverage

BlackBerry Developers Conference 2009 (Updated with Video!)

By Terence Ang - 10 Nov 2009

OpenGL ES for 3D Games and Blackberry Theme Studio

OpenGL ES Enables 3D Games and Graphics for BlackBerry Smartphones

Finally, Research in Motion also announced several enhancements to its BlackBerry Application Platform that will empower developers to quickly create rich content and apps for the BlackBerry platform. The first of which is gaming support via the OpenGL ES API.

EA Mobile appeared on stage during the General Session and demoed Need for Speed on a BlackBerry phone! With OpenGL ES, Java developers can now build 3D games and graphics for BlackBerry smartphones running BlackBerry OS 5.0 or higher. The support is available via an update on the Java SDK, of which the beta is available here.

David Yach, Chief Technology Officer for RIM, announces support for OpenGL ES so developers can create 3D games and animations for BlackBerry smartphones.

That's Electronic Arts' Need for Speed running on a BlackBerry smartphone, thanks to RIM's OpenGL ES support.

BlackBerry Theme Studio for Theme design, Illustration and Animation

The BlackBerry Theme Studio was announced and it comes with a free suite of theme design, illustration and animation tools for developers to create custom interfaces for BlackBerry smartphones running OS 4.2.2 and higher, including the new Storm2 and Bold 9700.

The Studio includes the Theme Builder, for customizing the user interface, and Composer, for creating animated SVG graphics such as animated themed buttons and backgrounds. The Theme Studio 5.0 replaces the previous Plazmic Content Developer's Kit, will feature an integrated import with Adobe Photoshop. Developers can also add ring tones and build screen transitions (zoom, slide, wipe, fade, etc.).

Tyler Lessard, VP for Global Alliances & Developer Relations at RIM, announces the BlackBerry Theme Studio 5.0 that gives developers the ability to create themes, illustrations and custom animations for BlackBerry smartphones.

Theme Studio is currently free and can be downloaded here . At the Developers Conference today, RIM announced that themes for BlackBerry smartphones can now be submitted to BlackBerry App World.

GUI Builder for BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse

One thing that got developers excited is the announced GUI Builder integrated into the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse. Developers can quickly create and localize complex codes with a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) so that they can preview their UI design on different BlackBerry smartphones.

Last but not least, we've a video overview of the new BlackBerry devices coming our way, a compilation of quick interviews with key executives from RIM and an opinion from one of our very own Singapore developers of the conference:-

Well, those were the key highlight from the BlackBerry Developers Conference for this year. What's next? Well, stay tuned for the new BlackBerry phones likely to come this side of Asia in the next couple of months as well as seeing more activity and development for all the new feature support shown here at the conference.

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