Research in Motion Ltd. will sell its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet for under US$500, said co-chief executive officer Jim Balsillie. The touch screen tablet will be launched in the United States in the first quarter of 2011, The Wall Street Journal reported today.

"There's a lot of demand and we are seeing a lot of interest from international retailers," Balsillie said, adding that the Asian market, especially South Korea and Japan will be key.

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According to the Christian Science Monitor, the price set by RIM puts the PlayBook "in direct competition with the Apple iPad," which is currently being at a initial price of $499.

The PlayBook is smaller than the iPad as it has a 7-inch display while Apple's tablet is 9.7 inches, the Agence France Press reported. Furthermore, it will used Adobe Flash video software and will connect to the Internet through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

As publishers continue to look for new revenue streams, 27 percent of American and Canadian publishers "expect mobile to significantly impact their revenue in just two years," according to an online survey conducted by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, Poynter.org reported today.

Twenty-eight percent said they believe sponsorships will bring advertising revenue, followed by search (22 percent), video (21 percent), banner ads (19 percent) and pop-ups (19 percent), paidContent.org revealed. But publishers said they would not rely only on advertisements and plan to charge subscription fees to the applications.

"Many magazines and newspapers are already implementing their plans and tweaking their offerings while others are following close behind," ABC president and managing director Michael Lavery stated in a press release.

Although 78 percent of those surveyed disagree with the idea that print publications will eliminate their print issues, 63 percent said e-readers "would become vital distribution channels for their publication." For instance, 60 percent of newspapers publishers plan to develop an iPad application in the next six to twelve months.

In the United States, owners of tablets like the iPad spend 75 percent more time reading newspapers than those without these gadgets, according to a survey conducted by the Harrison Group and publishing service company Zinio, the Los Angeles Times reported today.

Users of reading devices such as the Amazon Kindle also dedicate at least 50 percent more time on newspapers and 45 percent more time reading books. The study explained users make up the time by watching less television and going online less, PRNewswire revealed.

"For years, our consumer research has demonstrated the growing demand for digital reading. The ease of access, the convenience of content storage and now the high quality of the screen experience makes reading fast and fun," said Jeanniey Mullen, executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Zinio.

U.S. Publisher Hearst Magazines is preparing to open an "App Lab" at its Hearst Tower headquarters in Manhattan, paidContent reported. The lab will serve as a "think tank" for those in the advertising and marketing industries, aiming to to kick-start business associations and help experts discuss mobile content ideas with the publishing industry.

The initiative is set to begin in September, with educational sessions on topics including previews of emerging mobile content, applications and platforms, including iPad and other tablets; advertiser and agency roundtables on new ad formats and models; and consumer insight panels, among other programming, according to the press release posted on WebWire.com. In early 2011, the group plans to open up a physical space for showcasing its iPhone, iPad and tablet products exclusively to consumers.

Image: greenquest.co.uk
"The App Lab is a digital think tank to bring together innovators, both inside Hearst and across the media and technology industries, in order to create the smartest content, ad models and platforms that resonate with consumers today," David Carey, Hearst Magazines' newly named president, stated in the press release.