Getting Started with iPhone SDK, Android
and Others:
Mobile Application Development - 'Create your
Mobile Applications' Best Practices Guide and
Success Secrets
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Success Secrets Foreword
There has never been a publication series like this.
Success Secrets titles are not about the long-winded ins and outs of each featured contemporary topic. Instead, they answer the top 100 questions that we are asked and come across daily in professional forums, consultancy and education programs.
Success Secrets cover the questions that matter, with straightforward, highly accessible tips that have never before been offered in print. These books are not about exhaustive best practice and standards details. Instead, they address the key strategic points you want to know to be successful in your chosen field.
The Secrets are right here – reach out and grasp Success with both hands…
Using 3G Mobile Applications for Entertainment and Business Purposes ...11 Getting Information on Mashup Applications Projects for iPhone and T-Mobile...13 Trends in Mobile Software Development Using Client or Web Based Applications ...15 How to Reduce the Cost of Mobile Application Development Projects?...17 Important Steps in Getting Price Quotes for a Large-scale
Wireless Consumer Application...19 Steps to Finding the Right Web Application Development
Outsourcing Company...21 Mobile Application Extensions Hold the Keys to Full ISP
Integration...23 Types of Mobile Application Development in the Enterprise that Can Improve Business Processes...25 Choosing Between Python and J2ME for Developing Mobile Phone Applications...27 Android and the Cellular Carriers: Making Changes in the History of Mobile Communication ...29 The Skill Set of Developer Determines the Best Mobile
Google Takes a Step towards Becoming the Next Operating System Company ... 32 A System for Displaying Mobile Ads: Are Operators Interested? ... 34 Question of the Moment: Is the Digital Divide Getting Smaller? ... 36 Choosing between Global or Local Maps for Windows Mobile development ... 37 Steps to Gain a Foothold in the Wireless Application
Development Market... 39 Important Aspects of Design Documents for an Application Development Project... 41 Android: A Viable Business Opportunity within Your Reach... 43 Best Information to Recommend a Mobile GPS Application Development Company ... 44 The iPhone Application Model: Making Mobile Computing Smarter... 46 Future of Mobile App Development: Gearing Towards Cross Platform and Fully Integrated Mobile Software... 48 Learning on Mobile Devices Can Revolutionize the Educational System... 50 A Three Step Mobile Device Testing ... 52 Is There a Single Mobile Development Platform that Developers Should Use?... 53
The Criticism that Hit the Android Mobile Software...58
A Software Technology called ItsNat ...60
The Progress of a Microbrowser-based Mobile Phone...62
What Mobile Application Developers Do? ...64
The Best and Effective Ways towards Mobile Marketing...65
The Structure of the Python Programming Language ...66
TagsMe: The Amazing Mobile Application Technology at Present ...68
Top 3 Things to Remember about Windows Mobile Application Development ...70
Android: The Revolutionary Mobile Software...71
BREW: The Emerging Software Technology in the Mobile Industry ...73
Dissecting J2ME as the Tool for Mobile Software Development 75 Mobile App Development: A Lead to a Navigated Future ...76
The Secrets of an Effective Mobile Application Development Tool...78
The Fast Evolution of Mobile Software impacting the Mobile Technology...79
The Positive Results of the SMS Integration with Web Application...81
Does Developing Mobile Application Need Responsibility? ... 84
Develop Mobile Applications for Web Use: Ease of Use Important... 86
There's Business in Mobile Application... 88
Open Source Mobile Applications in Demand ... 90
The Popularity of Symbian Application Development ... 92
Develop Mobile Application: Make It Useful ... 94
J2ME: Ideal for Mobile Applications Development ... 96
What Mobile Application Platform Do Developers Use? ... 98
Why Mobile Application Testing Is Important... 100
Wireless Application Development Bring in More Fun and Useful Services... 102
Tools for Developing Mobile Applications ... 104
Mobile Developers: Building Mobile Applications is a Tough Job ... 106
Mobile Development, Mobile Platforms, and Users’ Options.. 108
A Preface for Mobile Programming ... 110
.NET Mobile Presentation... 112
Mobile Database: an Overview ... 114
Mobile Developers’ Community Braves the Challenges... 116
Mobile Device Development of Applications... 118
Mobile Software Development at Its Peak ... 120
Ways on How to Select a Mobile Platform...126
The Best Books about Mobile Computing and Digital Communication...127
Ways on How to Select a Mobile Platform...129
Clever Web Developer Avoids the Mistakes in Windows Mobile Development ...130
Opera Mini: The Most Distinguished Java Application for Mobile Phones...132
Mobile Application Architecture Guide Provided by Intel’s Genius...134
Introducing the Two Great Books about Mobile Phone Programming...136
Ways on How to Select a Mobile Platform...138
Jonathan Knudsen Provides Clear and Comprehensive Wireless Development Tutorial ...139
Why the Application API Was Created? ...141
The Benefits of Web based Application Development...142
JAR Mobile Software Online ...144
.NET Application Developer and the Task Ahead ...146
The Various Benefits of Database Administration with Pocket PC ...148
The Various JAR Mobile Games Online ... 151
Skills for Mobile Game Development ... 152
The Benefits of .NET Development ... 153
Understanding SDK... 155
Using the Help of an Application Example ... 157
Applications in Mobile Phones ... 158
The Importance of Using Application Tutorials... 159
Mobile Phone Applications: Which Mobile Phone Application are You? ... 160
Windows Mobile Applications Made Easy... 162
Application Examples: Ask if it Works on the Mobile ... 164
Application Tutorial: Don’t Throw the PDA ... 166
A Closer Look at the Sony Ericsson Mobile ... 167
Application Framework: Application Improvements ... 168
PDA Software Development: Developments in PDA ... 170
Understanding the .Net Compact Framework ... 172
Flash Lite in comparison with other Analogous Platforms ... 173
Java ME: The Most Popular Application Platform for Mobile Phones... 175
Lazarus: The Free Software for Everyone... 176
The Stages in a Mobile Application Development... 177
The Palm OS and its Key Features... 179
Pocket PC and its Interesting Evolution ... 180
Using 3G Mobile Applications for
Enter-tainment and Business Purposes
3G mobile applications integrate the functions of modern consumer electronics with mobile phones. This can be clearly seen on the increasing trend of using 3G phones as an all in one entertainment system.
Most 3G enabled mobile phones today support tions for standalone or interactive online gaming. These applica-tions are very appealing to 3G users belonging to younger demographics.
As an entertainment device, it is not surprising to see 3G applications that enable users to use their phones to watch streaming videos. The capability of a 3G phone to produce DVD quality videos makes it an ideal platform for viewing recorded shows or downloadable movies.
3G devices are also capable of streaming live TV broad-casting. With broadband connectivity, 3G applications for TV viewing are becoming very popular among mobile users.
However, 3G devices are not exclusively used as enter-tainment systems. These modern phones are also being used for business purposes. That is why there are lots of 3G applications today that enable business users to conduct real time video conferencing.
This specific feature can be very useful for corporate ex-ecutives. They will be able to conduct important meetings and business consultations via 3G devices. That is why interactive
nowadays. These applications virtually convert mobile devices into complete entertainment system as well as important busi-ness tool. As more powerful 3G phones are introduced in the market, more 3G compliant applications will be developed to improve user experience and productivity.
Getting Information on Mashup
Applica-tions Projects for iPhone and T-Mobile
The popularity of iPhone 3G and T-Mobile G1 has created a lot of buzz in the application mashup community. No doubt there is a current mashup development going on especially for the T-Mobile G1 model.
Apple’s iPhone and T-Mobile are currently supporting a wide array of mobile applications. This alone could push mobile applications developers to create mashup applications.
As for the iPhone, developers are submitting their creation to Apple for testing purposes and compatibility. Apple has a standing practice of keeping the mashup development silent. Users will only know that a new mobile application is available after a formal announcement by the company.
On the other hand, T-Mobile G1 mashup applications pro-jects are quite well known. That’s because the operating system as well as the applications framework of T-Mobile remains open source.
This means developers are free to hack behind the source codes of current mobile apps for G1 phones. Mashup applica-tions are then widely publicized on tech communities and online news resources.
It is not surprising therefore that the geo tracking and Google map locator is becoming the popular mashup application for the T-Mobile G1 model. Through the Google map, developers are creating an extension that will improve mobile interface.
To get the latest information about current or future ma-shup mobile applications, you need to subscribe to the sites of Apple and T-Mobile. Google’s official blogs can also be a good source of information for any mashup application projects currently in progress.
Trends in Mobile Software Development
Using Client or Web Based Applications
Mobile phone users are getting the benefits of current software development especially on applications designed to enhance mobile device functionalities. Most applications how-ever should be installed on the phone.
This is also known as client based software for mobile de-vices. Such applications are more stable and highly intuitive. These client based applications provide mobile users easy access to several web services.
There are also applications that add different functional-ities to mobile phones. For example, you can install call filtering and blacklisting software so you can choose only incoming calls you wish to accept.
There are also applications that can configure your mobile phone to go on auto pilot. The software will automatically redirect calls or messages on a web server so you can easily access recorded calls through the Internet. You can also set an auto responder application to handle your communications much like setting up an email auto responder.
These client based mobile applications are more popular because they can be utilized even when offline. The client soft-ware synchronizes the data when connectivity is established.
Web based applications for mobile devices however are slowly catching up on client side software development. More software developers are now creating applications extensions for mobile devices.
access numerous web services.
This allows users to take advantage of cloud computing using their mobile devices. Mobile computing therefore can be realized sooner as web based applications become more sophisti-cated.
How to Reduce the Cost of Mobile
Applica-tion Development Projects?
Commercial costing estimate for mobile application de-velopment could run into several thousand dollars. The largest percentage of this would go to professional service payment for developers.
Mobile software development is quite expensive especially if you will hire a software development outfit. That’s why some companies outsource development projects to independent programmers or foreign outsourcing companies.
Aside from professional fees, you will also need other hardware resources for the development projects. Creating software will require lots of server resources to host the coding and development phase. You will also have to take into consid-eration bandwidth requirements for testing and prototyping purposes.
Distribution of the software should also be included in the development process. Software distribution cost involves paying for hosting provisions so that the application can be made acces-sible to users.
Independent software developers however are taking ad-vantage of virtual machines to accomplish applications develop-ment with minimal cost. Renting rack space, virtual computers, and server space, would be economical than hosting the devel-opment process on your own infrastructure.
The biggest concern however for independent mobile ap-plication development is the cost of testing the software. Some
So if you want to start a mobile application development project, you can adopt the methods applied by independent developers. In this way, your company could develop a mobile application with less overhead expenses.
Important Steps in Getting Price Quotes
for a Large-scale Wireless Consumer
Ap-plication
Development projects for large scale wireless consumer application are complicated. Such projects need the expert skills of a team of developers so that the application can achieve its intended purposes.
Before you ask for development quotes, you need to create a project map detailing the requirements of the project and the required qualifications of the developers.
To do this, you have to map the appliance or the hardware that will need the application. Each appliance should have detailed development requirements. You will use this project map to determine the qualifications you will demand from the developers.
Several important questions must be answered by the ap-plication developers. First, you need to know their experience in large scale development projects. You can also ask for referrals and project portfolios of the development team.
As much as possible, always verify the projects imple-mented by the developers. You can research the known projects of the developer team or directly contact the team’s previous clients.
After your background research, you can now ask for quotes from the developers. The more quotes you get, your choices will be broader also. You can also ask for project cost quotations from web based application development companies.
consideration some specific aspects of each proposal as well as the successful experiences of the developers.
A large scale wireless application development project is not a simple affair. You need to take extra measures to ensure that your project will be successful.
Steps to Finding the Right Web Application
Development Outsourcing Company
Finding a web application development outsourcing com-pany would be easier if you will specify the details of your devel-opment project. You also have to take pro-active steps to ensure a good working relationship with the web development outsourc-ing company.
The first thing you need to do is to post an announcement on several technology and professional job boards. You can also use freelance web development portals to find an outfit that will qualify for your project.
Right at the start, you need to specify the job require-ments. This includes the required experience of a web app development company concerning UI design, agile software development, quality control and large project management record.
You must also specify what you need in terms of database requirements, software applicability and deployment, prototyp-ing, documentation, and other critical areas of web application development.
You will surely get lots of proposals from web develop-ment outsourcing companies. Based on your budget, you should determine if you will hire an international or domestic outsourc-ing outfit.
Once you entered into an agreement with a web applica-tion development company, you must always keep your
commu-major development project glitches. By communicating regu-larly with a web application outsourcing company, your project specifications can be followed closely.
If you follow these steps in outsourcing your web devel-opment, you can ensure that the final project results will be trouble free. This is also an effective way to avoid costly mistakes for your web application development project.
Mobile Application Extensions Hold the
Keys to Full ISP Integration
There is a growing trend today towards integrating mobile applications with basic ISP services such as Internet, cable TV and voice.
Mobile connectivity is not just limited to email and online chat facilities. You can also use your mobile device to access a wide range of web services as well as on-demand videos, audios, and other interactive voice functions.
For example, you can use your mobile devices to access program menus of selected cable TV networks. This is possible because programming schedules are now provided as a web service. So, if your mobile is connected to the Internet, you will be able to easily download these schedules as most web services already have mobile app extensions.
A good upgrade to this kind of extension is the capability to request pay per view programming directly to your mobile phone. Because 3G mobile devices today can already download streaming videos, real time pay per view access is highly prob-able.
Mobile phone banking is also widely available today. A mobile app extension giving you full capabilities for Internet and electronic banking transactions would be a good addition. This means you can access ecommerce sites, browse catalogs, and purchase products using only your mobile phone.
Integrating mobile applications to existing Internet, cable and voice services are slowly being developed by most Internet
Types of Mobile Application Development
in the Enterprise that Can Improve
Busi-ness Processes
Mobile computing is becoming a major part of the enter-prise. More companies now are utilizing mobile devices to deliver services and improve the business process.
That is the reason why the development of mobile applica-tions for the enterprise is also accelerating. The demand for more enterprise mobile solutions pushes software developers to create business applications suitable for mobile clients.
The most popular type of enterprise level mobile applica-tion is specifically designed to improve customer service. Com-panies can utilize mobile applications to deliver on-demand content for customers.
This type of mobile application can also be used to quickly respond to queries of customers. The capability to answer the needs of customers with simple SMS and MMS replies can reduce customer service cost and streamline IT infrastructure investments.
Mobile applications are also being used for marketing and advertising purposes. Companies today are integrating mobile phone marketing solutions in their corporate strategies. It is not surprising therefore to see mobile applications that provide homes listing, product catalogs, movie guides and gaming up-dates.
Mobile applications are also being utilized for personnel management. Through mobile computing, remote employees
As mobile computing and the development of more so-phisticated applications advance, companies will be able to use mobile devices for larger enterprise needs. This may include critical business processes such as inventory control, product delivery tracking, accounting, finance and payroll, and business intelligence gathering.
Choosing Between Python and J2ME for
Developing Mobile Phone Applications
J2ME and Python are the two widely used platforms for developing applications for mobile handsets. Both platforms have strengths as well as weaknesses. So if you are preparing to develop a mobile app, a comparison of the two platforms could help you in choosing which one to prefer.
J2ME, also known as Java ME, has been in the market for many years already. Lots of developers are using this platform for mobile apps.
J2ME however is not for beginners or novice program-mers. The platform is too big and complicated. New mobile application developers will find J2ME cumbersome to use. That’s because you will need to learn a lot of programming language to find your way inside the J2ME platform.
On the other hand, if you are well equipped to handle Ja-va, then this platform could be your best option. It has lots of tools for debugging and porting applications for mobile devices. The documentation support of J2ME however is too advanced. That is why you might lose your way if you are just beginning to develop a mobile app.
Python on the other hand is a relatively new programming platform for mobile device. Ease of use is what you can get from Python. It has uncomplicated language and has full documenta-tion support from the Python website. You can also get the video tutorial available for new programmers.
Android and the Cellular Carriers: Making
Changes in the History of Mobile
Commu-nication
At long last, there is a new open source platform which is called Android. Many cellular carriers are going gaga over this and we can only have Google to thank. Based on the astounding facts, Android is currently shaking up the entire open source community as well as the entire communication market. But first of all, this can be traced back to the operating system of Google.
As they had acquired Android back in 2005, they decided to improve the quality of mobile phone applications. Ever since that time, cellular carriers are enjoying the fact that they can offer better and more value-added service than before. After two years, Android suddenly boomed and became a big hit. The purpose behind this was the initial talks about Google wanting to expand its tools and utilities and enter in the mobile device arena. They provide online applications which are geared to-wards mobile apps very much like Google Maps and also Google Calendar. This makes perfect sense because a lot of these mobile applications are being snapped up by cellular carriers and of-fered to their clients.
Now, people enjoy the extra functionality which comes with their mobile phones thanks to Android and the many cellu-lar carriers who took a chance on such a system. Pretty soon, you will see it as the dominating force in the world of mobile technol-ogy as it expands its portfolio of applications to accommodate more tools and therefore lure in more users. We will never be able to look at the mobile communication device in the same way.
The Skill Set of Developer Determines the
Best Mobile Development Framework for
Cross-platform Applications
Mobile application developers are constantly debating about which development framework would be the best for cross platform applications. The simple answer to this is: there is no single framework that can be considered the best in the market.
Choosing a mobile development framework for cross plat-form application should be based mainly on the programming strength of the developer. This means the skills set of the devel-oper determines the best framework.
You will also not encounter big problems concerning cross platform inter-operability because most frameworks can do such functions. Whether you use Java ME, Windows Mobile, Net-Bean, Symbian, or any other framework, you can easily achieve cross platform performance.
For example, if you are well equipped to handle Java pro-gramming, then you can utilize the J2ME platform. This devel-opment framework can be used for almost all mobile phone devices as well as other hand held gadgets. The toolkits will be quite advanced also but this is a definite plus if you know how to use the framework.
The same is true for Windows Mobile. You will also have access to advanced utilities and programming tools to create different mobile applications. By using this framework, cross platform inter-operability for web services can also be achieved. You can also benefit from multiple support channels because the Windows Mobile developer community is quite large.
New frameworks and development platforms are also ideal especially if you are a novice programmer. Most of these are open source software and have easy tools and programming utilities. That is why it is important to know your programming strength in order to choose a development framework that will be suitable for you.
Google Takes a Step towards Becoming the
Next Operating System Company
Google’s Android is considered by many tech experts as the next mobile operating system that can challenge the giants in the industry.
This can also mean that Google, considered as the biggest web advertising and cloud computing company, will also become the next mobile operating system company. This possibility is not farfetched based on several factors favoring Google.
First, the Android operating system is free thus it can have a big impact on the competitiveness of other commercial mobile operating systems in the market. This is also an open source system which could be developed by independent mobile plat-form developers.
Because of its open source nature, Google’s Android can perform well on numerous mobile devices as well as other hand held gadgets. This alone could position the Android operating system among the top operating systems in the market.
Second, Google is not alone with this venture. The search giant has built a broad consortium of mobile phone vendors, manufacturers, and carriers that will adopt Android as a mobile operating system. The baseline of this consortium is spread throughout the world which could help the entry of Android into the global mobile phone market.
Lastly, Google is well positioned to deliver mobile web services because of its highly developed web tools and
applica-tions. Mobile extensions to Google’s applications can easily be ported to the Android operating system.
This will certainly benefit Android users. Mobile users will now have a stable alternative as other operating systems normally encounter problems with web services integration.
A System for Displaying Mobile Ads: Are
Operators Interested?
Mobile advertising is the next big thing in the marketing and advertising industry. The adoption of sophisticated mobile operating systems and web integration make mobile phones good platforms for advertising.
Some sectors however are wondering if cellular operators are interested in running mobile ads. The answer to this is yes. Mobile operators do want to run mobile ads because these are additional income streams for them.
The stumbling block however will come from subscribers. Most mobile phone subscribers voice out their opposition on mobile advertising. They consider ads on their phones as intru-sive and counterproductive.
Based on this sentiment, mobile operators have no choice but to follow subscriber interests. Besides, mobile subscribers pay for the service and it is their right not to want inline ads running on their mobile devices.
The introduction of mobile web services and capability for Internet connectivity changed the entire picture. Because sub-scribers can get on-demand content, advertisers could think of better ways how to display mobile ads.
For example, if mobile phone users access free content such as free videos, audio, or other web resources, advertisers can have the opportunity to show ads on these free downloaded materials. It’s just like the advertisements you see on free TV.
On the other hand if mobile subscribers want no ads on their devices, then they should pay a fee for accessing content. This would be similar to an ad-free but paid cable TV program-ming.
Mobile advertising opens up new opportunities for adver-tisers. If mobile carriers and advertisers can agree on what system to use for displaying mobile ads, you might see more adverts on the free content you download to your mobile phone.
Question of the Moment: Is the Digital
Divide Getting Smaller?
The past five years have seen an influx of gadgets, soft-ware innovations and hardsoft-ware tools which have changed the way we communicate and conduct our daily tasks. We are better connected with one another and have found cost effective ways to communicate and exchange information. Because of this, one might be tempted to ask: is the digital divide getting smaller and changing? The answer to this question of course, is a resounding YES. The reason for this is because of globalization.
The world is getting all the more closer and therefore it feels very much normal to simply “call” a friend or family mem-ber using the computer and chat for hours. The digital divide is getting smaller not just for users, but for the manufacturers and innovators as well. During these times, more and more compa-nies realize that cooperation is the key and that one can defi-nitely create more business (and serve other people as well) if they put their brains together. Because of this renewed fervor regarding cooperation, changes are abound – in terms of taking one thing and making it better so the end consumer or end user will have a much-improved item.
The new motto is more affordable and easier to use. The digital divide is getting smaller – and of course, as a result, things are getting easier and easier. For a lot of people who lived before these times, they can only shake their head in amazement and marvel at the wonders that technology can provide people.
Choosing between Global or Local Maps
for Windows Mobile development
Maps application for Windows Mobile development can turn your mobile device into a comprehensive GIS portal. Map applications will also be useful if you want to use your phone as a locator gadget.
You will be able to use several map web services as exten-sions of your mobile phone. If you are using Windows Mobile as a platform for developing map extensions, it would be best to utilize Microsoft Earth.
Microsoft Earth would be similar to Google maps. But be-cause you will be using Windows Mobile, your development processes would be simpler with Microsoft Earth. This does not mean that you cannot use other map web services such as Google map or Yahoo map. In fact, Yahoo map can also seamlessly integrate with Windows Mobile which could make your devel-opment process easier.
There is a big disadvantage however in using the general map web services of global networks. If you plan to create a local GIS portal for your mobile device, it would be best to use the mapping and geo tracking services of a local provider.
By using the map services of a local provider, the GIS or map application will be more precise, accurate and detailed. You will not achieve this accuracy if you get a map extension from a global network.
There are also free map applications which you can use without paying a license fee. This is usually provided by a local
Steps to Gain a Foothold in the Wireless
Application Development Market
The number of wireless application developers is growing every day. Because of the growing demand for new mobile applications, more people are trying to cash in on this market.
There are lots of start-up companies today that are trying to make a niche on wireless application development. On top of these companies are hordes of individual developers who are trying to create new wireless applications.
So if you belong to this category, you need to understand that wireless application development should always be user-centric. This means you have to determine first the current user demand. In this way, your wireless application will be able to gain a foothold in the mobile application market.
Adoption is critical if you want to succeed in the wireless application development field. Mobile software adoption deter-mines if you can continue developing future applications with commercial value.
You also need to select the appropriate mobile device for your wireless application. Creating applications for popular mobile gadgets is the most lucrative but you may encounter lots of competition from other developers.
Your wireless application should also be compatible with existing networks. This is to ensure that the mobile software you developed can be utilized by mobile phone users. Some develop-ers commit the mistake of developing a mobile application that is not compatible with existing networks.
new opportunities for your company especially in capturing new markets.
Important Aspects of Design Documents
for an Application Development Project
Documentation is important for any tech project to show the underlying architecture of the application design. You can use standard developer documentation but it is also important to show each aspect of the design process.
Before writing the design document, you need to write the underlying purpose or the rationale of the project. This can serve as the general framework of the design so that clients can grasp the intricacies of the documentation.
Next, you must allow the designers to finish the entire code layout before moving on to the development phase. This could eliminate possible flaws in design documentation that might be missed out during presentation.
You should also not forget documenting flawed states and bug messages. This will allow the development team to track the sources of errors. Documenting such errors can also prevent similar flaws in writing the codes.
You must also include set-up information as well as the uninstall methodologies in your documentation. This can guide the application testers during the development phase of the project.
Another important part of the documentation is the schema used for creating the database. Designers however need not see this schema so they can focus entirely on the design aspect. Designers should not be bothered by codes used on the schema.
documentation for application design projects will help your team develop flawless codes.
Android: A Viable Business Opportunity
within Your Reach
It’s a busy time for people who are working for computer companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. This is because they are currently trying to extend their computer as well as Web-based dominance on a smaller platform – the handy dandy mobile device. Recently, Google launched their very first mobile phone names the Google G1. This is a competitive re-sponse the iPhone unit launched by Apple as well as BlackBerry devices. It also runs on a revolutionary phone operating system created by Google – the first and only one of its kind, Android.
Many people like Android because for them it seems like the best viable opportunity for business. This is because it has very strategic advantages over the operating system of iPhone. Google’s Android allows better functionality than the operating software of iPhone, thereby ensuring more efficient business dealings and easier to finish up the tasks and projects which you can do on your mobile. This spells good news for those who rely on their mobile phones for almost anything and everything. This is especially useful since the user interface of the G1 Google phone also keeps the user in mind.
It has better organization of tabs, quick run times and an innovative and intelligent software as well. More and more people are turning to G1 Google phone with Android operating system because of these functionalities and the fact that it is several times cheaper than Apple’s iPhone. This simply means better business and better savings for the user.
Best Information to Recommend a Mobile
GPS Application Development Company
Recommending a mobile GPS application company can be very tricky, especially since more and more of these kinds are cropping up in the market. The solution to this, of course, is to know what mobile GPS is all about and whether or not the company (or companies) that you have in mind adhere to the same beliefs, principles and standards.
Just like a navigation system, mobile phones that are GPS-enabled are quite helpful in terms of getting the actual directions (step by step, if you will) so you will arrive at your destination in no time. A mobile GPS application development company is like that of the giant Nextel. Nextel is actually the sole provider of the GPS navigation service when it comes to mobile phones. It is able to provide their clients with GPS devices that are highly supportive and even compatible with some televi-sions that are branded TeleNav.
You can use these mobile GPS applications to educate and familiarize yourself about the different routes one can take with the best possible amount of mileage. There is an admirable advantage to this because of its high rerouting potential. Once you move your vehicle into the wrong direction, it will tell you and will also suggest ways in which your direction will be cor-rected and help you stay on the right path going to your destina-tion.
You may even get better advantage of the location sites because of this amazing GPS feature. Always keep these insights in mind whenever you feel that you would like to get anywhere soon.
The iPhone Application Model: Making
Mobile Computing Smarter
Apple’s iPhone application model revolutionizes mobile computing. The introduction of iPhone, which is a cross between desktop, palmtop, and mobile phone, changed the whole concept of mobile devices.
First, iPhone introduced smarter user interface with its touch screen functionality. Although touch screen technology has been around for many years, the iPhone model pushed the technology farther ahead.
With an iPhone, you will be able to completely manipulate that graphical interface of the phone. You can resize, rotate, and slide images through simple touch technology. You will be able to access an onscreen type pad or keyboard which makes mobile computing easier.
Equipped with Mac OS, iPhone can detect phone move-ment so it will automatically adjust the orientation of its inter-face. It can also shift to audio functions whenever its system detects that you are putting the device near your ear.
But the biggest impact that iPhone created on mobile computing concerns the ability of users for enhanced mobile connectivity. iPhone is fully equipped with 3G, WiFi, and WAP functionalities. The introduction of these technologies could fast track the integration of mobile devices with web services and applications.
Through the iPhone model apps, mobile web becomes the standard for new smart phones. With smarter browser and web
communication tools, the iPhone model application pushed other developers to create more intuitive mobile browsers.
Apple’s iPhone certainly made a big impact on mobile computing. Although it cannot surpass the success of modern desktop, iPhone certainly provided a new way for mobile users to maximize web technologies and mobile computing.
Future of Mobile App Development:
Gear-ing Towards Cross Platform and Fully
In-tegrated Mobile Software
Developers are predicting that mobile applications devel-opment will move towards cross platform integration. That’s because most vendors are building consortium based applica-tions that can be utilized seamlessly with web services.
The company model and single distribution mode of mo-bile applications can be eclipsed by open source applications. More mobile phone vendors as well as cellular networks want their subscribers to integrate mobile devices with web based computing.
In the next few years, you can expect your mobile phone to be fully integrated with the web. You can also utilize your phone applications to communicate with other apps residing on different platforms.
Developers are also expecting that future mobile phone models would be highly reliant on Flash technology. That’s because mobile Java clients have been bugged with numerous performance issues. The healthy community of Flash developers is also a contributing factor to this migration.
Mobile phone models of the future therefore could in-creasingly feature interactive gaming and multimedia utilities based on Flash technologies.
Experts however are still debating whether web based ap-plications could replace locally installed apap-plications. Most
believed that pre-installed applications will continue to be the norm in distributing mobile software.
The low take up of downloadable mobile applications con-tinue to be a major problem in software distribution. Most developers however believe that if reliable standalone mobile applications can be developed, more mobile users could be enticed to download web based mobile software.
Mobile applications development is the fastest growing sector in information technology. Users can expect that their mobile devices will benefit from more advanced software suitable for mobile computing.
Learning on Mobile Devices Can
Revolu-tionize the Educational System
Learning on mobile devices is also known as M-learning. This is an offshoot and very similar to e-learning but the focus is different and the technology used are modern smart phones.
M-learning can revolutionize the entire educational struc-ture. This type of learning system will be very useful for distance education students. M-learning can also improve the practices and methods of distance education.
Through their mobile phones, students will be able to eas-ily access video and audio lectures wherever they are. They can also download written resources and materials, connect their phones on a printer, and start making copies.
Through live video conferencing applications, students and educators will be able to hold real time remote discussions. Most 3G devices today have multi-user video conferencing functions which are ideal for holding remote classes.
It is also important to note that learning on mobile devices need not be in the form of distance education services. Mobile phones can be used as complementary instruction materials inside classrooms.
For example, students can use their mobile phones to pre-sent their reports inside the classroom. Mobile phones can also be used to improve classroom interaction through interactive media.
Mobile devices and hand held gadgets can also be used as alternative to laptops. Students can take notes via their mobile phones and record lectures and discussions. They can replay the discussions at home in order to improve their learning retention skills.
Learning through mobile phones can open up new oppor-tunities to improve the delivery of educational materials. These modern devices can also help students in improving their class performance.
A Three Step Mobile Device Testing
If you are a mobile phone or device user, you will probably have heard a little about mobile device testing. This is the actual process a mobile device goes through to ensure that it is of top notch quality and functions at the best possible ways. The mobile devices that may undergo mobile device testing includes mobile phones, personal digital assistants, and the like. This type of testing will therefore be conducted using the hardware and software means.
And of course, the differing views of the procedures as well as the testing itself will comprise the entire scope. It in-cludes three different components which are research and devel-opment testing, factory testing and of course, certificate testing. In research and development testing, the mobile phone will undergo the main test phase. This happens at the developmental phase of the actual mobile device. It is composed of hardware testing, mechanical testing and also software testing. The second phase called factory testing is a type of sanity check which you can do on mobile devices. It is also conducted in an automatic manner which helps you verify that the absence of defects due to manufacturing and assembly.
And finally, certificate testing is the area before the mobile device gets launched onto the market. The specification and the protocol are ensured to be confident about the health of the mobile device. With this testing stage, you will be sure that it has passed certain protocols and standards and it is now ready for market usage.
Is There a Single Mobile Development
Plat-form that Developers Should Use?
Different developers have different preferences when it comes to the question of which platform to use for mobile app development. That’s because mobile apps developers have different skill sets.
So if you are a certified Java developer, using J2ME plat-form could be your best option. On the other hand, those profi-cient in Windows developer applications would prefer the Windows Mobile.
Some developers however contend that Windows Mobile would be your best option if you want to quickly develop a mo-bile app. Ease of use is the primary reason for this because the platform complements the utilities of Windows .Net.
Documentation and support is also a big factor in the choice of mobile development platform. Windows Mobile has an edge over J2ME in this aspect. Web services and documentation support are widely available for Windows Mobile.
Also, you can use the different toolkits of Visual Basic as well as C programming in Windows Mobile. The MSDN com-munity also offers a wide array of information related to the different aspects of mobile development.
Of course, if you are trying to develop an application for iPhone smart phones, using Windows Mobile would be quite problematic and not suitable. In such cases, you may consider using other development platforms such as Symbian.
Mobile Applications Will Be the Next Killer
App
The next killer application will be determined by a com-munity of users that will heavily use or adopt it for everyday activities. This means that an application, even if considered as the most advanced, will not become a killer app if no one will use it.
This is similar to blogs and blogging software. When blogging application was introduced, it was the most advanced social media during those times. However, it became a killer app only when millions of users started using blogging software.
The trend today heavily favors mobile app to be the next killer application. Mobile applications, especially 3G applica-tions on smart phones, are beginning to get wide attention from all user groups.
This can only mean that mobile device applications are gaining wide adoption because large communities of users are starting to utilize them. This is especially true for smart phones that are being used as mobile computing devices.
The enhanced web connectivity of mobile phones makes these devices extremely useful for highly mobile individuals. Smart phones with powerful applications are also making signifi-cant impact on the business community.
That is why more technology analysts are concluding that the next killer application will be mobile. Mobile phones are being used not just for communication purposes. They are now
dors are focusing their efforts in developing new mobile applica-tions. It is a clear indication that mobile devices will dominate modern information and communication technologies in the near future.
Adobe Flash Lite -- Competitive Mobile
Software
Adobe Flash Lite belongs to the numerous product lines that were created by Adobe Company. This software is another breakthrough in the history of Adobe because this is the software that was designed to compete with the numerous mobile soft-ware packages that are out in the market.
The Adobe Flash Lite is a lighter edition of the Adobe Flash Player that was published as an answer to the growing demands for mobile phone software. With this software, a portable phone user can now have a look at the multimedia file contents and applications that they have using the Flash tools provided by Adobe. These Flash tools were originally designed and became available only in portable and desktop systems.
The Adobe Flash Lite is to be considered as multimedia application maker and not as an operating system for mobile phones. It is not under the category where Symbian and Win-dows Mobile OS are. It is rather a mobile technology that is designed to help people develop any application that can be executed using any mobile OS.
It is to be noted that Adobe Flash Lite is once a property of Macromedia. However, when Adobe Company acquired fully the Macromedia entity, it tagged along it the name bearing Adobe. There have been many noted advantages that Adobe Flash Lite earned as well numerous drawbacks. However, as this mobile software began to gain popularity in the market, the drawbacks were instantly wiped out and people have celebrated the massive presence that it made in the industry.
The Criticism that Hit the Android Mobile
Software
The Android mobile software is an OS and a software sys-tem that was made specifically for mobile phones. The Linux Kernel developed by Google allowed developers to come up with their own codes to suit their personal preferences. This made the Android software seemingly an open sourced software.
Google Company acquired the Android in 2005. How-ever, a group of several hardware, software, ad telephone and communication companies merged together to form the Open Handset Alliance. When Open Handset Alliance took charge in the management of the Android Mobile software, it aspired to develop open standard software for mobile phones. However, this move of the Open Handset Alliance drew many criticisms. Below are a few of these:
a. It was promised by this group that the Android is going to be an open source which means that any further devel-opment that can be done on this software does not require the software developer to bring it back to the right proprietary. However, some of the software development kit applications which are relevant to further develop system were not open source.
b. Android was announced to be following the Java established standards. However, it disregarded all these and made Android incompatible to work with any Java or JVM platforms.
c. Lastly, it was further announced by the Open Handset Alliance that some functionalities of the software will be subject to further approval based on its applications. This subject for approval thing makes it impossible for any third party
devel-oper to come up with other applications to compete with the existing application that Android has. This is a clear violation of the open source code.
A Software Technology called ItsNat
This software was initially released in the market in No-vember 2007. The software market has instantly amazed by this software because of the cross platform operating system that it plays compatible with. Primarily, Itsnat is a server centered software as it applies the basic approach known as the TBITS an acronym which stands for The Browser is the Server. This was made using the Java platform.
So, what can we do with Itsnat? What are its distinct cha-racteristics that make it at par if not more than what the other server-centered software packages?
a. The client (meaning the other workstation systems that use the Itsnat software) gets synchronized with the server having the Dynamic Hypertext markup Language.
b. Itsnat has the Ajax timers which are very essential components of a scripting language.
c. This software has an automatic feature that gener-ates utilities for JavaScript, a modern technology that has never been surpassed since this day.
d. This is the software that is Extensible Markup Lan-guage ready.
e. Itsnat is also capable of generating customized uni-form resource locators or URLs.
The major drawback of Itsnat is the inability of it to be run using any other software platform. Since this software was made using the Java platform, it is delimited at being run using the JVM (Java Virtual Machine) platform. Although it is critical to use the JVM 1.4 to the least, this software is compatible to work with various browsers such as IE, Safari, Opera, and Firefox.
There are tests that are currently being undertaken to allow Itsnat to run in a mobile gadget.
The Progress of a Microbrowser-based
Mobile Phone
A microbrowser, a minibrowser or referred to as a mobile browser is a newly designed web browser software that is specifi-cally catering mobile devices (PDAs and handheld phones). These mobile browsers are maximized in order to exhibit the contents of the Internet using the smaller sized screens of the handheld and portable phones.
Generally of web browser are smaller in capacity because they were designed to match the limited capacity of any hand-held phone both in graphics and the bandwidth that phones can accommodate. The latest web browsers that are available these days are a little more extensive in terms of capacity because of the broadened features of the handheld phones.
The mobile browser or the microbrowser-based phones are usually able to connect and access the contents from the Internet via the mobile networks and increasingly using the wireless application technology via the local area networks. Apparently, these medium are allowing the use of both the hypertext transfer protocol and the transmission control protocol thereby allowing web contents structured using the HTML, XHTML, XML, and DHTML to be accessed and read.
The idea of microbrowser or mobile browsers evolved back in 1997 when the now named as the Openwave placed their browser on the famed AT&T branded handset to have an access on the HDML content of the web. This brave move of AT&T gave way to probably the best forms in mobile technology specifically this has prompted a British Company to work on their own
mobile browser named as hitchhiker designed for their own line of mobile device.
What Mobile Application Developers Do?
Have you recently checked your mobile phone? Did you notice that your wallpaper is now being animated? Or have you noticed that your brother’s mobile phone has a game file that your mobile device does not have? Or probably, your mobile phone does not have a security option to better protect you and your personal files while the others are vastly protected.All of these features are what we commonly refer to as mobile applications. And these mobile applications are created by mobile application developers. Mobile application developers are also programmers whose main working environment is the mobile device. Unlike the desktop programmers, the mobile application programmers need to delimit themselves with what the mobile device can only accommodate. This means that prior to developing any application for the mobile device they need to study in detail the limitations of it such as memory capacity, display accommodation, and a lot more. The careful analysis of the restrictions that the mobile device possesses will empower the application developer to create a fully efficient mobile appli-cation.
The mobile application developers are the ones responsi-ble in the way the mobile device has evolved and developed and majority of the things that they do are software based. This means to say that whatever the mobile industry holds, part of that future is controlled by the application developer. However, being a mobile application developer, it is necessary that you understand how to battle with the limitations of the mobile device so that you can maximize the potentials of the application that you are trying to develop.
The Best and Effective Ways towards
Mo-bile Marketing
One of the inventions that made communication a lot eas-ier is the telephone. And not surprisingly, this became a massive hit in the market when in was first launched in the market. The ingenuity of people made it possible to re-invent this greatest invention of our lifetime into something that is portable and handheld. The mobile invention became a hit in the market. The portable and handheld phone made it possible for people to communicate instantly and comfortably.
Now, because the demand for mobile phones has soared high, makers have started to develop and create various kinds of mobile gadgets. The invasion of the mobile phone in the indus-try gave people a lot of choice and dynamic options. This led to a challenge on how to better market the mobile product. Below are some of the effective means on how to attain the best mobile marketing strategies:
a. The mobile should be the state of the art. In this age where people are brand and fashion conscious, it adds up for a phone to be marketable when it belongs to the top of the line.
b. The mobile should spell practicality in both price and features. People also know what equates the money they spend for the gadget. You have to make sure that the mobile product is capable of equating its price with the features that it possesses.
c. The mobile should be sleek and handy. The exter-nal and physical appearance of the mobile phone counts a lot most especially in a society driven by aesthetics and fashion.
The Structure of the Python Programming
Language
What do YouTube, Google, Yahoo, and NASA have in common? Well, apart from the fact these are the very popular organizational entities, these are using the Python language to build some of the components in their system.
Python is a very powerful programming language (high level) which purpose is driven at a general perspective (this means that almost any application is capable of being made using this High level language). As a high level language, it is geared at making the coding process a lot simple and easy (pri-marily using English-like codes). The foundation of the syntax codes ad semantic structure of Python is viewed largely in a minimalist structure (meaning fewer codes to avoid complexity) but with a very huge and complete library files that are able support to build the codes.
One of the more interesting facts about Python is the use of the whitespace – a rather unpopular technique in program-ming which Python was able to successfully incorporate on its syntax. Python is capable of supporting dynamic programming structure from simple to object oriented to imperative form of programming. Python is a language that is also categorized as a scripting language which primary design is at building functional websites.
The man behind the beautiful structure of Python is Guido van Rossum who took very big risks in competing a different structure for a programming language. He initially launched the first Python software in 1991 and the latest release that he made was in October 2008. Apparently, he released a new version this
month of November but this latest version has remained unsta-ble.
TagsMe: The Amazing Mobile Application
Technology at Present
Tagsme is an application platform that is primarily de-signed for personal digital assistants and mobile phones which was essentially built using the XML (Extensible Markup Lan-guage) environment. This is considered to have very straight-forward and spontaneous code syntax. One good thing about this mobile application is the fact that it runs compatible with any handheld device as long as it uses the Java MIDP which employs code syntax that are like HTML.
The amazing characteristics of TagsMe that makes it very appealing to the consuming public are the following:
a. TagsMe has an organized hierarchy of APIs using the Java platform. This makes the components of the software inherited. When the components are inherited, creating new components for the software becomes a lot simple and easy to do because you do not need to create new components, all you need to do is re-create what was inherited.
b. TagsMe allows the use of the touch screen mode/technology. This software is one of the few software programs that is able to run touch screen.
c. TagsMe has a built-in storage (cache) for the im-ages and graphics making the usage of the memory become less consuming. Memory storage is one of the critical components of any gadget. With TagsMe having a built-in memory, space consumed by large files such as graphics is never a thing to worry.
d. TagsMe as a multimedia software is also designed to allow animation to happen. But above all these, it can animate all elements of multimedia from text, to images, to buttons.
Almost everything in the screen is capable of being animated using TagsMe.
Top 3 Things to Remember about Windows
Mobile Application Development
The risk and the damage in committing faulty moves and wrong decisions when it comes to mobile application develop-ment are very crucial and highly fatal. Any miscalculation that you may encounter in any mobile application development project can considerably cost you and the company great amount of money. This is especially true when you as a developer get to commit mistakes in Windows Mobile Application Development.
Part of the development that you may need to learn is the ways on how you can avoid committing mistakes when you are involved with a mobile application development project. Below are some of the things that you need to remember:
a. One mobile application development platform is entirely different with the others. This is the common mistake that developers do not immediately realize. They think that merely because these platforms have the same makers they are basically alike. This is not true all the time.
b. Learn to be familiar with operating systems and their platforms, devices and their features, and lastly the frame-work. All of these things bear uncommon features. You need to make sure that you carefully understand all these in order to come up with a successful mobile application development.
c. Learn to be familiar with the structure of the appli-cation that you are using. Every mobile appliappli-cation has a varying structure. It is important that you know all these differences including the advantages and the drawbacks of each structure. By knowing this, not only that you can save great amount of money but also you can save your time efficiently.
Android: The Revolutionary Mobile
Soft-ware
Have you heard about a mobile software that has in it an operating system, various key applications, and a middleware all rolled into one? Well, you must believe that there really is such a thing. This mobile software is called as the Android. Android is a software pile for mobile gadgets that includes all the things that you are looking for in a mobile software.
The Android is an Android SDK beta tested version that consists all of the necessary application tools including the API that is fundamental to start the development of the applications on the Android using the Java language.
The Android mobile software is also known to have some of the best features and applications and more notably of these are the following:
a. The ability to reprocess and replace components using the application framework feature.
b. The Dalvik virtualized machine that is capable of maximizing the features of the mobile device.
c. The presence of an integrated, built-in browser which enables you to use the Internet using the Webkit, an open source engine.
d. There is an enhanced graphics which is customarily powered by two dimensional and three dimensional graphic libraries.
e. There is the massive use of the SQLite responsible in a well structured storage of data.
f. The presence of the Bluetooth technology, 3rd gen-eration and wireless finity access.
environment allows any developer to leverage on the phone using the Google libraries.
BREW: The Emerging Software
Technol-ogy in the Mobile Industry
The BREW technology is one of the emerging software technologies that is making great waves in the mobile industry. The software technology for mobile phones has reached this kind of necessity as soon as the third generation mobile phones were released in the market. This genre of mobile phones requires a special software to have its full features accessible and usable.
BREW or Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless is a Qualcomm made platform designed for mobile phones. Origi-nally, the BREW technology was intended for radio channel and communication technology specifically the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) handsets. The BREW technology is the soft-ware that enabled mobile phones to download and execute not too consuming programs that are intended for playing interac-tive games, sending and receiving text messages, photo and video sharing and a lot more.
One of the strengths of the BREW platform technology is its ability to allow all application makers to easily transfer the applications between and among all the Qualcomm and the compatible devices. This is made possible because of the com-plete Application Program Interface that BREW possesses enabling application developers using the C, Java, and C++ to run it compatibly with it.
Although the BREW technology seems to be impeccable mobile software that one can use to develop applications for the mobile, the drawback lies on the fact that you need to register to Qualcomm before you can essentially use the features attributed with BREW. The registration is seemingly all fine however it
