Did you try, for example, assuming you want the PPA snapshot version of handbrake.

1. Google for "ppa handbreak". In the second link of launchpad it says snapshot.

2. On the snapshot handbreak launchpad page: https://launchpad.net/~stebbins/+archive/handbrake-snapshots copy the ppa line: ppa:stebbins/handbrake-snapshots

In my case I go to the console/terminal and type there:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:stebbins/handbrake-snapshots

Then I wait for the ppa to merge with the source.list and then do an update. Either sudo aptitude update or sudo apt-get update.

Now IF the ppa has the package for the 11.10 version, you should see it. If not you need to wait until it appears in the PPA. In this case the PPA was updated about 14 hours ago with the 11.10 version for it BUT remember, this is a snapshot.

Then just go to synaptic, software center, aptitude, apt-cache or whichever you want and you should see the new version there saying hello.

Ways to Install & Uninstall .deb packages in Ubuntu:

SOFTWARE CENTER

This is the default GUI installer/uninstaller for Ubuntu to search, install and remove applications.

SYNAPTIC

This was the old way which can still be used by installing the synaptic package. It works similar to Software Center with a few differences like installing multiple packages at the same time and other details..

APT-GET & APT-CACHE

This are the default terminal ways in Ubuntu to search, install, update and remove applications.

Search & Install

Remove an application

Remove an application COMPLETELY (Including config files)

Update Repositories

APTITUDE

This was the old terminal way of searching, installing, updating and removing applications. Can be used by installing the aptitude package.

Search & Install

Remove an application

Remove an application COMPLETELY (Including config files)

Update Repositories

DPKG

Installing a package

Removing a package

Purging a package

There are other cases like dselect, PackageKit and GDebi. For Kubuntu you have alternatives like Kubuntu's Adept Manager, newer KPackageKit or Muon.

As an alternative to DEB packages you have alien which can installed RPM packages (Not to be confused with Revolutions Per Minute since that would make Fedora really fast ;) )