April 1975 – Microsoft came in to existence under Bill Gates.April 1976 – Apple came into existence under Steve Jobs.

Since then, the world was never to be the same. In these last 30+ years, the human mind has seen the world getting by storm with [...]]]> Mobile Cubix: Mobile Application Development Website Launched

April 1975 – Microsoft came in to existence under Bill Gates.April 1976 – Apple came into existence under Steve Jobs.

Since then, the world was never to be the same. In these last 30+ years, the human mind has seen the world getting by storm with the emergence of revolutionary inventions in technology field. Every decade has been enriched with innovative creations and revelations; Apple I, Macintosh, Windows, Vista and recently – iPhone and Windows Mobile have all played the big part in changing our lives. The world saw the emergence of Social Networking as well which would be considered as the greatest milestone achieved in the world of internet. The emergence of this particular phenomenon made this world compact and helped in labeling it as ‘Global Village' to the greater extent.

"Mobile Cubix will start playing small fraction of part in these developments," said Mark Udoka, CEO at Mobile Cubix at the Launch Ceremony of Mobile Cubix. "The main focus will be to develop applications on every mobile handheld platform; be it iPhone, Android, Windows mobile, BlackBerry or simply Symbian and Java enabled phones including mobile website design."

And thus, March 2010 – Mobile Cubix comes in to existence under U Mark Uzoka.

Their claim of being a cohesive unit in mobile application development platform and further providing a helping hand to the organizations for solving the complexity of delivering the mobile internet to thousands of unique devices is like making a bold statement of their presence already.

Not only they are providing designing solutions but also they are covering analytics and reporting including mobile advertising – making Mobile Cubix all-rounder in mobile application development field. They have handful expertise in development field mainly experienced iPhone Application Developers and Android Application Developers.

Additional in-depth information about their services can be read here.

The term "porting" refers to the portability of software from one platform to another, or [...]]]> As a mobile app development company, we help companies and entrepreneurs create a wide variety of Smartphone apps. One question we are often asked is about cross platform development, or porting an app from one platform to another platform.

The term "porting" refers to the portability of software from one platform to another, or how easy it is to adapt a program to work on a different platform. Software is considered portable when the cost of porting it to a new platform is lower than the cost of developing it from scratch. The lower the cost of porting the software in relation to its implementation costs, the more portable it is.

Apps are generally not considered to be very portable. But there are many aspects of cross platform development which can help save time and money on a multi-platform application.

Saving Money on Cross Platform Development

Unfortunately the four major platforms - iPhone™, BlackBerry®, Android™ and Windows® Phone 7 - all use unique programming languages that are largely incompatible with the other platforms. There are a few rare exceptions, but mostly, apps are not very portable.

In addition to true portability, there are many things that you can do to help reduce the cost of launching an app on a new platform.

The Three Layers of Smartphone App Development

In a basic sense, apps are built in three layers: the Data layer, the User Interface, and the "Business" layer which handles the logic and control code. Each of the major platforms manages these layers differently, which means that during cross platform development, each layer must be considered on its own terms.

1) The Data Layer

Data can either be stored natively on the device, or in a web-based external database. For example, an email application relies mainly on a web-based server to deliver and manage emails, whereas a photo editing app mostly relies on local storage (storage on the device).

The benefit to web-based storage is that it tends to be fairly well optimized for all devices and, if planned for correctly, is fairly compatible across all platforms. Of course, to really save time and money it is imperative that you plan ahead for multi-platform access, but this is the most compatible solution.

Of course there are times and situations where a web-based solution is not optimal for a particular app. This may be because of the requirement to have a reliable data connection, or the fact that a web service might simply be "too big" of a solution for a simple app, or a variety of other reasons in which local data storage might make more sense.

Using a local data layer may present additional challenges as each platform and device handles data storage and SD card access a little bit differently. But overall, the local data layer of an app is fairly consistent across each platform.

2) The User Interface Layer

Covering every other layer is the user interface. This is how the user sees and interacts with the app. Our CEO has written extensively on user interface design and development and its implications for mobile computing, which is worth reading for more information on mobile interface design. The largest issue from a development standard is that each platform (and often each device on a platform) has its own distinct user interface requirements.

In broad terms, it is easy to say that the Native UI control on an iPhone is distinctly different from the control on any Android phone. This is because the iPhone and Android are trying to be distinct from one another (just look at the number of "hardware" buttons on the Android - 8 - , versus the iPhone's 4 buttons.) This makes for obvious user interface and user experience changes when looking at cross platform development.

However, equally important, is the unique differences between devices on the same platform. The most apparent example is Android, with around 150 devices on the market and at least 60 more already announced for release this year. Even though the controls for most of these devices remains consistent, they come in all different shapes, sizes, and often with different hardware capabilities which require additional customization and adaptation to ensure an optimal experience.

So how do you quickly and economically customize an app for 150 devices? That is an answer for another blog. But the point is that there is no easy one-size-fits-all solution.

3) The Core Code and Logic Layer

The code layer is the biggest and most complicated section of most apps as it brings everything together and makes everything work. Unfortunately, this layer is unique to each platform and cannot be easily moved from one platform to another.

For example, iPhone apps are generally written in Objective-C, while Android apps are written in Java and XML. Since Android does not support Objective C and the iPhone doesn't do well with Java or XML, developers have very little code that can be directly reused.

There are a few tricks and tips that make cross platform development a bit easier which do not require third-party tools. For example, if an iPhone app is developed in ANSI C or C++ it can be easier to port to other platforms. Unfortunately most apps are not created this way (for a variety of reasons), but some apps, like larger game engines, are done this way. Game engines or other apps that are written in ANSI C++, can be covered in a thin Objective C or iOS interface layer which lets it run naturally on the iPhone.

Since Android also has a Native Development Kit (NDK) which allows deployment of ANSI C/C++ code, you can reuse much of the same code except with a thin Java layer that interfaces to C/C++. Even so, Java-to-C integration is a fragile process and may not yield optimal results, and it only adds efficiency in larger complex apps. Creating smaller or simpler apps this way might help you reuse some code, but it adds a proportionately large amount of additional code and probably will not actually help save any time.

There is another option that may soon be more viable for commercial app development: third party tools.

Third-Party Tools

Third party tools make a simple promise: code once, and deploy on multiple platforms. Though technically true, this phrase should come with a couple major asterisks and caveats.

In short, while these tools may provide some level of "code once, deploy multiple times," these tools are still in their infancy and the ability to deploy on multiple platforms is still somewhat incomplete. There are many caveats, and if you are looking for a "code once" solution, then you need to be willing to live within those caveats.

The best use for third-party tools like this is to understand their limitations. In most cases, these have the potential to help with the code layer, but will still require manual user interface customization.

One other challenge is that even though there are multiple tools; there is no single tool that can deploy on all platforms, even to a limited degree. This means that one tool can do iPhone and Windows Phone 7 deployment, whereas you would need another to do iPhone and Android. This means that even though some tools may save some time on some platforms, there is not one magic solution for everything.

In order to make 3rd party tools really work for you, you must have a solid deployment plan in place and know what you are trying to accomplish. In some cases, 3rd party tools can be immensely helpful, but they can also be a hindrance if your expectations do not meet up with their capabilities.

We highly recommend speaking with an experienced mobile app developer and creating a multi-platform deployment plan. There are many options, and an experienced developer can help you find the right plan that will produce the best results, and save you time and money in the process.

Product Description
Today’s Web 2.0 applications (think Facebook and Twitter) go far beyond the confines of the desktop and are widely [...]]]>

• ISBN13: 9781430226208
• Condition: USED - Very Good
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Product Description
Today’s Web 2.0 applications (think Facebook and Twitter) go far beyond the confines of the desktop and are widely used on mobile devices. The mobile Web has become incredibly popular given the success of the iPhone and BlackBerry, the importance of Windows Mobile, and the emergence of Palm Pre (and its webOS platform). At Apress, we are fortunate to have Gail Frederick of the well-known training site Learn the Mobile Web offer her expert advice i... More >>

Beginning Smartphone Web Development: Building JavaScript, CSS, HTML and Ajax-based Applications for iPhone, Android, Palm Pre, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Nokia S60

A "father's" perspective on iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry

I'm the CIO at Amadeus Consulting, a custom software development company based in Boulder, Colorado. I'm fortunate because I get to work daily with my four adopted children: BlackBerry®, iPhone™, Android™ and Windows® Phone 7. Of course [...]]]> My Four Kids

A "father's" perspective on iPhone, Android, Windows Phone 7, and BlackBerry

I'm the CIO at Amadeus Consulting, a custom software development company based in Boulder, Colorado. I'm fortunate because I get to work daily with my four adopted children: BlackBerry®, iPhone™, Android™ and Windows® Phone 7. Of course they are not my real human children, but they all have their own personalities and characteristics that make them as unique as any two people.

As CIO I oversee many projects that involve creating custom mobile apps for these platforms and I regularly help clients decide which platforms will best fit their needs. This is a brief overview of "my children" and how they are suited to custom mobile app development.

BlackBerry

Brief History: Created by Research in Motion, BlackBerry has been around since 1996 and was the dominant player in the smartphone market for some time. However, newer and more nimble competitors have since overtaken BlackBerry's market, forcing it to reevaluate many of its key functions and capabilities and provide better tools to independent developers.

Most Current Major Version: BlackBerry OS 6.0, launched August 12, 2010

Demographics: BlackBerry originally appealed to business users who needed to stay connected to email while on the go. Over time it expanded its range to include many students and more casual users, but it has always remained a primarily business-oriented device.

Distribution: 100 Million units sold

Share: Approximately 27% of the Smartphone market, 8% of the total US cell phone market

The Good and Bad: BlackBerry has recently reorganized some of its internal structures to make it more developer friendly, as well as modified pricing limitations and standardized the share it receives for app sales. This makes it more accessible for consumer apps, but it still presents challenges as multiple versions and varying device capabilities threaten compatibility and complicate development.

Also, BlackBerry is quickly losing ground to the iPhone and Android platforms as people renew their mobile carrier contracts and are able to upgrade their phones to a newer model. This presents a hard case to those looking to invest in mobile application development for their company since they will be launching in a shrinking market by launching in BlackBerry first.

Even so, BlackBerry has a very strong security background, including heavy mobile email encryption, which makes it preferable to security-conscious individuals. Also, the inclusion of a physical keyboard and other features make it especially popular and useful in many situations.

App Recommendations: BlackBerry is still a very strong platform and the new OS version does provide some interesting features. In other words, if not for the popularity of the iPhone and Android, BlackBerry would still be a strong choice for app developers. For BlackBerry app development, we generally recommend launching new apps on a different platform and then porting them over to the BlackBerry once the demand and market have been established, since the app store is still generally weaker, and other platforms provide greater distribution potential.

This may not be true in all cases, as some business and productivity apps are very well suited for the BlackBerry (and now Windows Phone 7 too), and the BlackBerry audience, and we would be happy to make recommendations on a case-by-case basis, if you would like to contact us.

iPhone

Brief History: The iPhone was originally launched in 2007 and has been growing rapidly ever since. In addition to its advanced features and ease of use, it also brought the concept of the "app" into mainstream use.

Now developers could develop and easily distribute single-purpose apps to a very broad audience. This meant that for a relatively small investment (ranging in the tens of thousands, rather than in the hundreds of thousands or millions, in most cases) companies could create consumer-ready software and be able to reap a profit from it.

Also, it meant that Apple® only needed to focus on creating a good environment for independent developers, rather than trying to create every feature itself. Subsequent versions of the iPhone, and OS upgrades, have provided additional features and capabilities without causing severe fragmenting (yet) as is seen on many other platforms.

Current Version: iOS 4

Demographics: The iPhone started out as being characterized as a product for the young and rich, which has shaped its image ever since. However, as far as smartphones go, it is widely distributed among different audiences and is very popular internationally. For app publishers, the ability to reach younger audiences through the iPod and wealthier audiences through the iPad are also a bonus.

Distribution: Approximately 10 million iPads, 74 Million iPhones (all types), 50 million iPod Touches sold to date.

Share: Approximately 28% of the smartphone market, or 8.2% of the entire US cell phone market.

Good and Bad: Although suffering from some criticism of obscure app store rules, Apple has responded by clarifying submission guidelines, and providing better feedback to apps that are rejected. However, Apple's guidelines are still the most stringent of any app store, which means that certain types of apps will not be accepted.

The iPhone also suffers by being wholly tied to AT&T, which means that many potential customers do not purchase the iPhone simply because they prefer their current carrier. This may be solved in 2011 with a new iPhone model that will run on other carriers, but for now it is somewhat limited. Even so, app compatibility on other OS4 devices (the iPod and iPad specifically) provide improved accessibility to teenage markets, and unique media opportunities on the iPad.

Another challenge to the iPhone market is that there are already hundreds of thousands of apps on the market, which makes it harder for your app to stand out without marketing your product. However, iPhone app development is still a very powerful and capable option, and has been very successful for many app developers and publishers.

App Recommendations: The iPhone is an excellent place to launch an application, especially a paid application. Users are more accustomed to paying for apps, and are much more willing to buy apps than they are on other platforms. Apple also has the largest potential market for app distribution, although Android is catching up, which provides a very large potential audience.

There are some technical limitations that in some cases make other platforms more attractive (such as being able to run apps in the background), but really the iPhone has the popularity and performance most publishers need for a solid launch.

Android

Brief History: Originally independent, Android Inc. was purchased by Google™ in 2005. However, it wasn't until the end of 2007 that the mobile OS was announced, and devices running Android didn't really start appearing in mainstream markets until 2009.

Even with its relatively late start getting a product to market, Android is quickly becoming the largest player with dozens of devices, and is anticipated to overtake Apple in 2011. However, this is mostly achieved by taking market share away from BlackBerry, rather than from Apple, and by converting a larger share of former feature phone users as they upgrade.

Current Version: Android 2.2

Demographics: Thanks to a wide variety of devices, including many low cost options, Android has the broadest distribution of any smartphone OS.

Distribution: Approximately 70,000,000 Android phones have been sold to date, and Google is currently selling over 200,000 phones per day, which makes it the fastest selling mobile OS on the market today.

Share: Approximately 23% of the smartphone market, or 6.7% of the entire US cell phone market. It is projected that Android will overtake the iPhone in 2011.

Good and Bad: The Android platform is by far the most open mobile platform with very few content restrictions, although a maturity rating system is being implemented to provide age-appropriate levels for some apps. Android also allows "beta" apps to be uploaded to the market and tested, and allows users to install non-market apps without hacking the phone. This can be helpful for development, but it also means that there are a lot of very poor quality apps in the market.

Also, Android comes in many shapes and sizes meaning that there are a lot of options for consumers, but different screen sizes, different resolutions, and varying capabilities make development challenging. Even so, most phones fit within three or so categories, so for most applications very few changes or modifications need to be made to include most new Android devices.

Another unique characteristic of Android is that users are much more accustomed to free apps, and on average download far fewer paid apps, and fewer apps in general. This is because Android comes preloaded with many of the most popular apps (Google Maps, Gmail, Web Browser, YouTube, and in some cases Facebook and Twitter), all of which are free anyways. This leads to a lot of free/trial version apps with upgradeable options, as well as more ad supported apps.

App Recommendations: As Android quickly becomes the largest smartphone platform, Android app developers are finding that they have a huge market for launching new apps. Its open nature and large demographic range make it appealing to a broad range of apps. Android is also very receptive to high quality development especially since there is a large amount of poor quality apps on the market. This benefits quality developers and designers who can produce high quality apps and interfaces because they immediately stand out over others. However, there is still a lot of competition on the app store and so it is a good idea to plan out your mobile app marketing strategy before launch.

Windows Phone 7

Brief History: Launched in 2010, Microsoft® is revamping its mobile operating system to remain competitive in today's market. Microsoft has been in the mobile market since 1996 with various versions of Windows Mobile and Windows CE, which still remain popular in industry specific devices and kiosks.

However, Microsoft seems to have learned the most from its competitors and has tried to take the best of everything that the iPhone, Android and BlackBerry systems have to offer.

Current Version: Windows Phone 7

Demographics: Unknown at this point, but it is designed to appeal to a range of people from business professionals to gamers

Distribution: Windows Phone 7 reportedly sold 40,000 phones its first day, with steady but slow sales since. Distribution may be limited by availability issues as many retailers reportedly do not have any in stock, but it may also be impacted by the massive numbers of people in the US who have already renewed their contracts this year to take advantage of new iPhone and Android models, and who are now unwilling to switch devices again.

Share: Currently less than 1% of the smartphone market.

Good and Bad: Windows Phone 7 is a great addition to the phone market and I personally have very high hopes for Windows Phone 7 in 2011 and beyond. WP7 also benefits from integrating naturally into Microsoft's other products, including Office, Outlook, Windows, XBOX, and many others. For users, this means that they can easily set up and sync their device to their computer without the need for additional dongles, data charges, or a tech degree.

For Windows Phone 7 app developers this also presents many opportunities to provide productivity applications which take advantage of its cross platform syncing ability. Microsoft has also set strict device requirements for manufacturers which will help limit fragmentation in the future. In fact, the current minimum standard for WP7 phones currently exceeds the raw power and capability of most of the phones on the market. In other words, these phones will all be very powerful and capable.

App Recommendations: Launching into a new platform is always a little bit risky since your app's success depends heavily on the success of the platform, which has only been out for a month as of this writing. We're confident that it will do well because of how well it incorporates current technologies and brings them together into a very usable interface. By using familiar technologies such as .NET and Silverlight development languages, Microsoft has made it very easily accessible to a huge range of developers, which will help its success.

For new app publishers, Windows Phone 7 is definitely a platform to keep an eye on. Its ability to easily interface with most Microsoft technologies makes it very appealing, as well as the ability to publish private apps (apps for only your employees, for example) make it the only phone that can do proprietary industry  apps.