Research In Motion has released the BlackBerry Widget software development kit (SDK) to enable third-party application developers to build rich, integrated applications for BlackBerry smartphones using common web technologies.
With the new BlackBerry Widget SDK, developers can build web-based applications with advanced features and functionality -- a capability previously available only for BlackBerry applications written in Java.
Using the new BlackBerry Widget APIs, developers can, for example, create seamless interaction between a widget and the BlackBerry email and calendar applications, create widgets with the ability to view or edit files and documents stored on the smartphone, and access location-based services or the media player.
Developers can also take advantage of RIM's unique push technology, enabling dynamic widgets that can run in the background and provide timely proactive alerts to users.