RIM demos Blackberry Playbook with Adobe AIR apps

Research in Motion co-CEO Mike Lazaridis and Adobe's chief technology officer Kevin Lynch unveiled the Blackberry Playbook tablet yesterday.

RIM also released the tablet's software development kit, which is integrated with the new Adobe AIR application platform. Partnering with the cross-platform Adobe AIR is part of RIM's plan to attract developers to design apps for Playbook, which will be released in early 2011. The new tablet will also use Adobe's Flash Player 10.1.

Adobe recently unveiled AIR 2.5, the latest version of its application platform. AIR was originally designed as an internet-connected desktop app. It was later transformed into a platform for apps to install on mobile phones. AIR for Android became available earlier this month.

With 2.5, apps for television and tablets are now part of the platform. Early next year, Samsung's SmartTV devices will be the first to ship with AIR pre-installed.