RIM is hosting another BlackBerry developer webinar and it’s your chance to get an in depth look at BlackBerry development.
Building on the momentum of their extremely successful Web Development and Toolkits webinar, RIM will be hosting a webinar with a focus on Mobile Application Design Considerations for Java Developers. Details are as follows:
Presenter: Sarim Aziz, Senior Application Development Consultant, Developer Relations
Panelists: Mike Kirkup, Director, Developer Relations
Date: Tuesday October 20, 2009.
Time: 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EST.
The BlackBerry Developer Conference is trying a new strategy this year when it comes to attending sessions. There are over 40 sessions from BlackBerry development experts at RIM and this year they have been organized using tags so you can choose ones that are applicable to you.
Sessions are broken down based on the type of developer that may be most interested in attending this session including Commercial Enterprise Developers, Consumer Developers, Corporate Developers, Business (CIOs), and Application Architects/Designers.
Technology
Sessions are broken down based on the core technology they would discuss or leverage including Java, Web, BlackBerry Enterprise Server, BlackBerry Internet Service, and BlackBerry Developer Tools.
Specialization
Sessions are further categorized based on a specialization of the topic including Multimedia, Location Based Services, User Interface, and Security.
Technical Level
Sessions are rated according to the expected knowledge level of attendees – introductory, intermediate and advanced.
Session Format and Attributes
We also give you the ability to filter sessions based on the format of the session (eg. RIM-lead Sessions vs. Community sessions) or by attributes of the session itself (eg. does the presenter provide a demo or sample code).
Mike Kirkup, Director of Developer Relations at RIM, has officially announced the launch of the BlackBerry Developer’s Blog.
The site will cover three main areas:
Technical Discussion and Insights – Including best practices for BlackBerry development, code snippets, and general technical information on how to make applications users will come back to time and again.
Market Insight – Discussions of trends and opportunities in mobile development and mobile applications that RIM sees from breathing the mobile industry every single day.
Developer Engagement – We have substantial plans to get more engaged with our regional and local developer communities all around the world, from Australia to Argentina and everywhere in-between. We will be using the BlackBerry Developer’s Blog to communicate events in your region and opportunities to meet other BlackBerry developers.
There are already some great posts up on the blog. My favorite is a post about Location Based Services. This is a fascinating and growing field in not only BlackBerry, but the mobile industry. Mike posted some excellent examples of how the technology can be utilized in BlackBerry applications such as:
An RSS reader could provide local stories relevant to your current location rather than requiring a postal/zip code.
A media player could stream music that incorporates local artists, encouraging people to support artists in their own backyard.
A travel application could help you find flights automatically knowing which airport you are stuck in.
A CRM application could provide you with a seamless experience in moving between your clients on your calendar for that day using turn by turn navigation and the locations stored in the CRM database.
When BlackBerry Cool broke the news earlier this week that RIM was accepting submissions for the BlackBerry Application Storefront, we were really excited. It was the first step towards bringing more application goodness to our BlackBerrys. But the call for submissions really generated more questions about the Storefront than it answered. Thankfully, RIM’s crack Developer Support Team (lead by Guru Mike Kirkup) ignored my recommendation to take today off, and have provided everything developers need to know about the BlackBerry Application Storefront in the latest edition of the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter.
This edition of the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter is centered upon the Open Mike with Mike Kirkup Podcast, which discusses the key aspects of the BAS from a Developer Perpspective. While I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you listen to the podcast in full — there will be a test later — I’ve co-opted CBKevin’s crib notes for those that just can’t wait.
Developers: What you need to know about the BlackBerry Application Storefront
* The store front is OPEN to developers. You can start submitting apps now.
* App storefront will deploy applications via its own mechanism – there will be an on device client that will allow end users to browse, buy and download apps directly. Developers just need to focus on building awesome apps!
* Users will be able to write reviews (I’m guessing rating and other expected functions like that will be in there as well)
* The App Store will initially be rolled out in English only to North America and UK markets. More language/geographic support coming down the road.
* App Store will support OS version 4.2.1 software and higher on trackball and touchscreen devices (sorry trackwheel users – time to upgrade!)
Getting your apps into the app storefront:
o 1. Signup as a Vendor
o 2. Suitability test – RIM does an initial check to make sure your app has appropriate/suitable content and that the app meets basic quality standards
o 3. Smoke test – RIM tests the app to make sure it meets the high quality standards that people have come to expect
But don’t think that’s all to this month’s BlackBerry Developer Newsletter. After the jump you’ll find links to key developer resources to the BlackBerry Nation will have the best software possible when the BAS launches. Don’t forget to SIGN UP FOR THE BLACKBERRY DEVELOPMENT NEWSLETTER, so you’re not the last to know about the latest in BlackBerry Development!
Hmm, it seems as though my stocking hanging upon the BBCool HQ mantle is already stuffed with holiday cheer. Such a gift just in time for Christmas can only mean one thing: RIM Developer Support Guru Mike Kirkup and his merry elves were hard at work all weekend preparing the latest installment of the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter! The BDN Holiday Edition seems to be all about taking advantage of the myriad BlackBerry MDS Runtime tools to create feature rich BlackBerry Applications. You’ll find all the relevant links below, as well as the latest Open Mike with Mike Kirkup, which focuses on the Breaking New Ground Technical Seminar that was such a hit.
Remember the Breaking New Ground BlackBerry Technical Seminar that happened last Wednesday? Of course you do, because you followed along diligently from your computer! Well, in case you somehow missed it (for shame), RIM’s Developer Support Guru™ Mike Kirkup gave a seminar on what great new tools are coming next for BlackBerry developers. Here’s a rundown of what’s coming:
* Gears support – Kind of like Google gears, which allows users to access and store web content locally on their BlackBerry.
* BIS-B Push applications – Push to BIS public devices (making WebSignals irrelevant) and push data to applications (think IM clients)
* SQlite applications on device – Think about a database of information on your BlackBerry like a clients list or price list
You may remember that support for Gears and BIS-B Push was originally announced during the BlackBerry Developers Conference, but it’s good to know that it’s inching ever closer to release. You can see a few more slides from the seminar after the jump.
BlackBerry Cool was the first to tell you about RIM’s FREE Breaking New Ground: Fall ‘08 BlackBerry Technical Seminar a few weeks a go, and now we’re here to remind you that Breaking New Ground takes place TOMORROW from 9amET – 5pm ET. Here’s some of the Seminar’s highlights in case you’ve already forgotten.
Mike Kirkup, RIM’s developer relations guru will provide a recap recap of the key presentations from the BlackBerry Developer Conference held in October
“So You Want to Develop for BlackBerry Smartphones” on the Developer Agenda
“Application Deployment, Security and Management Best Practices” on the Administrator Agenda
Mmm, I can feel it in the air, something special is on its way for BlackBerry developers. It can only be one thing: the latest BlackBerry Developer Newsletter! The latest edition of the DevLetter has Developer Support Guru Mike Kirkup delving into the BlackBerry Technical Seminar we told you about a few days ago and the Network Diagnostic Tool released late last month. You can find the audio below, as well as links to other great Developer Newsletter content.
RIM developer support guru extraordinaire Mike Kirkup is at it again, this time explain the difference between all the network transports available for BlackBerry developers. This is a great resource for developers new to the BlackBerry space that have idea of the difference between a BIS-B or MDS transport. Here’s a list of the transports Mr. Kirkup explains:
* BlackBerry MDS or BES
* BIS-B – BlackBerry Internet Service
* Direct TCP
* WAP (2.0, 1.0, 1.1)
* WiFi
You can click on the image above or hit the link below to watch this informative video. Thanks, RIM!
One of the true pleasures of being at the BlackBerry Developer Conference was the opportunity to finally meet RIM’s Developer Support Guru, Mike Kirkup. Mike is a great guy and one of the heroes that helped to make the BlackBerry Cool 15 possible. He’s also the man behind the Open Mike section of the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter, which has a special focus this month on BlackBerry Storm development. In addition to the BlackBerry Storm simulator video, the BlackBerry Developer Newsletter has Mike talking about ‘Compatibility Mode’ and Storm events at the BBDC, and links to a number of useful support documents about Storm development. Check them out below:
