Following months of rumors, PlayBook manufacturer research in Motion has confirmed in a press release that it will add support for Android and Java apps to its development tools for the RIM PlayBook tablet. In addition, the new SDK for the tablet will also support development of fully native applications with C/C++ on top of already announced support for applications developed with HTML5, Flash/Flex and Adobe AIR. 

With the confirmation/addition of C/C++ and Android/Java development support, RIM is seeking to give developers the most flexibility in what languages to use for developing and deploying applications.

Apps developed with Java/Android and C/C will benefit from a new “player” which will be available from BlackBerry App World later this summer that will allow PlayBook tablets to run apps developed in the aforementioned platforms without compromising performance. As a companion to C/C++ development, RIM will also release an open beta of its Native Development Kit later this year, with a showcase at BlackBerry World in May.

Opera has announced 1.0 versions of Opera Mini 5 and Opera Mobile 10, effectively graduating them from Beta status.

Opera Mini 5 is available as a 1.0 release for Java ME based devices such as the BlackBerry and many featurephones, while remaining in beta for Android and Windows Mobile. Opera Mobile 10 1.0 is also now available for S60 and Windows Mobile.

A year ago, at CTIA, we announced MobileEdition. It was the first tool that allowed bloggers to quickly take a blog, and turn it into an App Store app.

No, it never shipped. We were told by Apple it wouldn’t last long on the market, as they’d pull the plug. In fact, they even rejected our early submissions of working apps, such as ones for sites like PhoneNews.com and TechNews.biz.

So, you can probably see why we wouldn’t consider it very newsworthy when other companies came along, got venture-backing, and made the same tool… only to wind up with notice today from Apple that their tools would be rejected. Worse, unlike MobileEdition, these tools cost money to generate an app, and submit it to Apple. Ours didn’t.

So, rather than attack Apple some more on this one, rather than re-hash why we don’t use the App Store anymore… we’re going to tell you what we’re going to do about it.

We’re going to open source MobileEdition, and give both the server processing code and app code away for free. From there, you can modify it as you please, as long as you contribute the changes per GPLv2, which is what we will be releasing it under.

This will give you the freedom to not be a “cookie cutter” and add your own functionality to your MobileEdition-powered app. And, thanks to open source, contributions will be shared, so other bloggers can arm their MobileEdition apps with new tools for mobile users all the time. From submitting content, to peer review, there are a lot of things Apple can’t say their Flash-less browser can handle.

Our hope is that development attention on MobileEdition will help pull in resources to spawn webOS, Symbian, Java, Android, and Windows Phone 7 Series front-ends for MobileEdition. Our goal is that one day a blogger will be able to simultaneously offer up apps for every mobile platform all at once, and offer download links on their own site. By targeting every platform, like Flash, we put the pressure on Apple to not be the odd man out in having an open, secure App Store.

And we look forward to delivering on this in the next month or so.

In a press release this morning, Oracle and Qualcomm have announced the integration of the Java Wireless Client into Qualcomm’s BREW Mobile Platform, allowing for the development and deployment of Java ME based applications and services across Qualcomm’s new operating system.

With this development, Qualcomm is taking further steps to open the formerly closed BREW enviroment and is easing the barrier to entry for Java developers and software houses to develop on the new platform.

PhoneNews.com has the full scoop on what to expect from the Instinct HD.

First and foremost, the Instinct HD will expand on Sprint’s Opera Mini-bundling in the Instinct S30. Opera Mobile will become the standard browser, operating inside the Instinct HD’s BREW environment. This is the first time Opera Mobile has been the default browser on a Sprint non-smartphone, and appears to be the rumored widespread integration deal that Opera rumored in July. Instinct HD will be Sprint’s flagship non-smartphone through the end of the year, and Sprint’s hybrid BREW/Java platform is gaining in traction on other devices.

In addition to a powerful BREW-based browser, Instinct HD will get a significant Java upgrade. With a model number of SPH-M850, it will be the first non-smartphone to feature Sprint’s Titan application platform. Titan replaces the aging J2ME CLDC profile with a custom CDC-based platform. CDC is a more powerful version of Java, originally meant for smartphones, but failed to get traction there. Only Symbian UIQ included full support for the CDC profile. Now, Sprint is poised to revive it as an app platform for non-smartphones, which can scale up to both Android and Windows Mobile phones.

Titan, as we first reported, will deliver smartphone-grade application platforms across the entire Sprint phone lineup.

Finally, most interesting, will be the integration between these two advances. Applications using Titan will be able to leverage the Opera Mobile browser as their HTML renderer. This will enable impressive on-device widgets and web-driven applications, similar to how Palm’s webOS offers application interactivity.

The interface will continue to mimic the Instinct (S30) interface, but will have additional media player enhancements to support on-device sync and HD (with HDMI) video output. This is a far cry from the meager Sprint Music Store playback support in the original Instinct, as well as take advantage of Wi-Fi in the device.

This news comes as PhoneNews.com was vindicated by external testers for our previous exclusive report which exposed that iPhone 3GS is capable of up to 1080p HD playback. Many criticized PhoneNews.com for reporting that the iPhone 3GS’s video hardware would support HD playback. Apple is poised to enable such playback upon the launch of forthcoming iPod touch models, which feature the same PowerVR chipset, enabling HD output across both iPhone 3GS and iPod touch. The change will also strike the discontinuation of the 8GB iPhone 3G, as multiple sources have reported will be replaced with a 3GS variant.

Sony Ericsson has announced that it will add a centralized application store to its European-oriented PlayNow multimedia download service with plans to expand it outside of Europe later this year while continuing to support the older Fun & Downloads portal during the transition to PlayNow.

The manufacturer has also signed an agreement with the venerable and popular GetJar Java application portal and will begin offering its entire application library through the new service, along with opening a new developer submission site on July 1st with no fees for submission or listing on either PlayNow or Fun & Downloads.

The PlayNow app store will initially support Symbian and Java applications before expanding to more platforms.

At PhoneNews.com, our only bias is to the consumer. But, at MechaWorks, we’re all fans of Sega. It’s practically a job requirement. (Note: No, it’s not a job requirement, we’ll hire you even if you think Sony is better… or even… Nintendo. No Microsoft though. Okay, Microsoft.).

And, the folks at DoCoMo had to rub salt in an old wound. See, Sega promised us that we would get an American release of The House of The Dead Mobile. The game was a beautiful port of the Sega Saturn version, but with a twist. You could actually turn around, even leveraging the accelerometer on some phones… it was a huge hit in Japan. Sega literally will not speak as to why they couldn’t keep their promise to release the game… trust us, we’ve tried, yelled, thrown objects… they refuse to say one word about the failure.

And, now DoCoMo is showing off another Saturn-era favorite, Virtual On… running flawlessly on their latest phones. If you’re not familiar with Virtual On, don’t worry. An enhanced version of the game will be released on Xbox Live Arcade later this Spring.

So, here it is. Sega won’t even bother announcing this one for the United States. But, that may be a good thing… getting people’s hopes up with phony announcements, leaves painful scars that don’t fade. If Sega is bringing this one state-side, they’ll at least be doing so quietly until it’s a sure thing.

Bitstream, best know for their old-but-not-forgotten Thunderhawk web browser, has just updated their next-generation BOLT browser. Still in beta, the browser aims to take on Opera Mini in the compressed-mobile-browser sector.

The latest update on BOLT makes numerous improvements to both Java and BlackBerry-customized versions. New features include Wi-Fi auto-detection, additional magnification modes, and landscape browsing.

BOLT beta2 can be downloaded from the link below.

Bitstream BOLT

Nokia has opened up a product page for the as yet unannounced Nokia 7510 Supernova clamshell featuring prominent T-Mobile branding.  The defining feature of the handset is its outer display which is hidden until activated, providing an entertaining light show and turning itself off when not needed along with a push to flip button.

The complete featureset consists of quadband GSM/EDGE, 2.2 inch QVGA internal display, 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder, Series 40 with support for Symbian applications, FM radio with RDS support, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, HTML browser, media player, speakerphone, audio messaging, microSDHC expansion slot, Nokia Maps, and support for Ovi services.

T-Mobile has not confirmed the clamshell in its future lineup at this time.

After a two-week delay, Sprint has officially launched the long-awaited RIM BlackBerry Curve 8350i for the Nextel service.

The device features a Wi-Fi radio, OS 4.6, internal antenna, 2.0 megapixel camera with video recorder and flash, GPS transceiver with A-GPS support, Direct Connect with Group Connect, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, microSDHC expansion slot, speakerphone, and media player.

The device is now available from Sprint online for $249.99 after new 2 year agreement and $230 instant discount with an additional $100 mail-in rebate when purchased with a PRO Pack, Everything Plan, or Data Premier add-on,  bringing the total to $149.99.