* What Are BlackBerry Super Apps?!
If you pay any attention to the BlackBerry Development World, You have no doubt been hearing a whole lot about Super Apps. They were first introduced @ the Mobile World Congress, by no other than Mike Lazaridis, President & Co-Chief Executive Officer of RIM. He spoke of the Super App in his keynote speech that he delivered at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona.
We wanted to take a closer look at the Super App, from a development stand point & we also wanted to give the “non-developer” a better understanding of the Super App, so here we go!
A Super App for BlackBerry smartphones is an app that delivers a compelling user experience by leveraging the unique capabilities of the BlackBerry platform. Super Apps are the kind of apps that people love and use every day because they offer such a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient experience. Some of the key features of a Supper App are as follows.
A Super App, is designed to tightly integrate with the BlackBerry Platform by using the key features of the device itself. When you use your BlackBerry, what are the features that you use the most? For most of us, they are your calendar, inbox, address book, phone, browser, and the camera. A Super App will, in theory, integrate with these features that you use the most & will integrate seamlessly. Some of the other features include the “Always On” experience, (an app that runs in the background, and is always available). A good example of a background app is the very popular BerryJoose.
We will be doing a more in-depth feature on the BlackBerry Super App, but for now, this will give you a glimpse as to what they expect from a Super App. Below, You can check out the keynote by Mike Lazaridis.
****Video by: CrackBerry.com.
* Are You Going to The Mobile World Congress?
This years Mobile World Congress is in Barcelona! The event will be held February 15th – 18th, 2010. RIM will most definitely have a strong presence at this years event, and even though I will not be able to attend, I can give you a run down of what RIM – BlackBerry, has planned for the event.
So let’s break down what RIM has planned for this years Mobile World Congress!
On the 15th, you will be able to see Tyler Lessard, VP Global Alliances & Developer Relations @ RIM, will be part of a panel on the topic of ” Unlocking application revenue through billing and payments”.
On the 16th, Mike Lazaridis, Co-CEO of Research In Motion, will be a keynote speaker. A “Must See” for any BlackBerry Addict! Also on the 16th, BlackBerry Developer Day at App Planet. This event is “packed” with sessions to give BlackBerry Developers new info & tools, so that they can continue to make us the awesome applications that have all of us soooo spoiled.
If you are lucky enough to be attending this event, you will most definitely want to stop by the BlackBerry stand. There, you will be able to get some “hands-On” time with some of the latest BlackBerry Smartphones. They will be showcasing solutions & applications from over 60 partners, some of which will include: EA Games, Polar Mobile, Codasystem, IBM, HP, and many, many more!
* There is still time to register, just follow this link!
Check back with us & we will keep tabs on the happenings of The Mobile World Congress – 2010!
* BlackBerry Technical Seminar~Dec 3rd~Register Now!
I’m a bit late on this one, I’ve been busy, but there is still time to register for the BlackBerry Technical Seminar & it’s Free for register. There are a couple of different tracks, being Developers, Administrators, and CIO Opportunities. The seminar is Dec. 3rd, @ 9AM.
Blackberry Developer’s Conference Mobile App!
While cruising through BlackBerry App World today, I cam across the BlackBerry Developer’s Conference Mobile App. This is a pretty cool little app! If you plan on attending the conference, this app will come in pretty handy! It will be able to help you find your way around, give you bios on the speakers, info on the sessions & more. If you are not luck enough to attend the BlackBerry Dev Conference, it can keep you up to date on the happenings of the conference, so you’ll be as close as you can get with out actually being there….lol.
The BlackBerry Developer’s Conference App is available through BlackBerry App World, & uses about 669 kb of memory, is FREE to download, and is a “Must Have” for all of you budding developers!
* BlackBerry Developers Conference Session Catalog!
Interested in the BlackBerry Developer Conference? Now you can take a look at their session catalog. There is still time to register & and you can do so here.
* BlackBerry Developer’s Webinar!
Today, I received an email informing me of the latest Developer’s Webinar for BlackBerry Java Developers. The webinar will focus on helping developer’s to have a better understanding of mobile applications design through best practices & real-world examples. The following is a small piece from the email.
“We’ll cover a range of topics from Network Communication and User Interface to Data and Memory management. We will also show you how to leverage the BlackBerry® Java development tools for debugging and optimizing your BlackBerry applications. You’ll even have a chance to interact with BlackBerry experts in a real-time Q&A session.”
If you would like to register for the webinar, just click the following link: Webinar Registration.
* RIM to Address Developer Concerns re: Changes to the BlackBerry Alliance Program!
Just last week we posted the new changes to the BlackBerry Alliance Program. Well, some independent developers were not too happy with some of the changes to the program & it looks like RIM has taken notice. The BlackBerry Alliance Program team is listening to the feedback and they have narrowed down the points of concern to the following: - Access to BIS-B Transport, Access to BIS Push Data services, and Access to devices for testing & development.
It will be interesting to see just what changes will be made so as to not alienate the independent developer. We will be watching this closely, so check back soon!
* RIM Announces New Widget SDK for the BlackBerry Platform.
Now this is some exciting news for all of our BlackBerry Developers out there! This is something that we have been waiting on for a while now. There has been talk of updating the SDK’s & now it’s here. As always, I’m not a big fan of the whole “cut & paste” thing, so here is a link to the original Press Release & you can also check out BlackBerry Developer’s Zone.
*BIS 2.8 Upgrade Scheduled for October 3rd!
We have another unexpected surprise from BlackBerry this week. The BIS 2.8 upgrade is coming a bit sooner than we had thought..WooHoo! The upgrade is said to be for Northern American carriers & rumored to be scheduled for October 3rd.
Some of the new features are said to include: Two-way wireless sync with Google Mail & the address book on the BlackBerry device, Windows Live Hotmail re-validation, and Enhancements to email set-up & settings. Now, for the bad news: The Google Mail Sync, is only for devices that boast an OS of 5.0, but with all of the 5.0 OS leaks this week, that may not be too much of a big deal.
* Available OS Upgrades & Their Devices !
This has been quite a week for BlackBerry OS Upgrades, so I am going to get them all listed for you at one time, here. One of the most shocking OS upgrades is the Un-Official BlackBerry Curve 8330, 5.0.0.230 upgrade. Most of us thought that there was no chance for the 5.0 OS to hit the Curve 8330, so we are totally pumped for this one! There was a lot of skeptical BlackBerry users that were concerned that the 8330, would not have enough memory to pull off the 5.0 OS upgrade.
*Important Note & Disclaimer: ALL of the leaked OS upgrades are UN-OFFICIAL. If you choose to install, do so at your own risk and only if you’re comfortable in the process of upgrading and downgrading your device software. Depending on your BlackBerry comfort level, it may be best for you to wait for community feedback before deciding to download and install for yourself or you can wait for the next official release.
* The next OS upgrade is for the Curve 8520!
One of the great things about all of these “leaked OS upgrades”, is the fact that we have so many of them, all at once, one would certainly get the idea that an Official OS Upgrade for all of these devices is right around the corner. That just give us even more to look forward to.
– BlackBerry Curve 8520 OS 5.0 Upgrade.
* Leaked OS for the BlackBerry Bold & Curve 8900! !
Like I said, it’s been a HUGE WEEK, for OS Upgrades & everyone is feeling the love! For all of you Bold & Curve 8900 users, you are on deck next!
– BlackBerry Bold 5.0 OS Upgrade.
– BlackBerry Curve 8900 5.0 OS Upgrade.
* Just remember that these are all UN-OFFICIAL RELEASES! You need to make sure that you take the time to learn how to upgrade your OS properly & if you are not the adventurous type, you may want to just wait for an OFFICIAL Release. Crackberry.com, has one of the best learning series that I have seen for installing a new os to your device, so you will want to check that out, if you are not a BlackBerry Master. You can check out their “101 Lecture Series”, by clicking the link.
* The BlackBerry Alliance Program.
The Blackberry Alliance Program can give you access to the industries leading development, marketing, sales, and training that will help you expand your business opportunities & realize your full potential. Just recently, they have revamped the BlackBerry Alliance Program, and its new structure is designed to power your ideas & give you a new level of success.
There are 4-tiers to the BlackBerry Alliance Program, each offering different features and program eligibility requirements. The 4-tiers are as follows:
- The Registered Tier , which is a Free membership , gives you access to product brochures, development tools, device images & datasheets , & More. It also allows you to make contacts within the BlackBerry Community which can create new business opportunities while expanding your companies reach.
- The BlackBerry Alliance Associates Tier, which is an entry level paid membership. As a BlackBerry Associate Alliance Member, you can take advantage of the offered marketing programs, tech support, BlackBerry devices and software, branding, and sales tools that are made available to aide you in the promotion of your BlackBerry solution. There are specific enrollment requirements that must be met for you to qualify for this tier.
- The BlackBerry Alliance Select Tier, which is a mid-level paid membership, gives you all of the benefits that are available in the BlackBerry Alliance Associate Tier, with some extras as far as tech support, sales, marketing, and also gives you access to Pre-Released BlackBerry Devices, the ability to participate in BlackBerry Beta Programs, & a lot more.
- The Blackberry Alliance Elite Tier, which is the highest paid membership level, gives you all of the features from the other programs as well as , the highest priority access to marketing on various online BlackBerry resources and co-operative marketing activities with RIM, the highest priority placement in the BlackBerry Solutions Catalog, and the opportunity to work with a dedicated RIM Marketing Manager to help you execute various BlackBerry campaigns, sand so much more!
This program is kinda like getting a Back Stage Pass to RIM & its devices…(pretty cool, right?~!..). If cost is an issue for you, you can sign up for the free membership, and take it for a spin before you pull your membership requirements & cash together to join.
I joined the BlackBerry Alliance Program, so I will be adding updates to this story from time to time. The program sparked my interest & I just couldn’t help myself, besides, who wouldn’t want to have all of that access to BlackBerry.
* The 1st Ever Live BlackBerry Developers Webinar!
While I was surfing the web today, I came across this little gem over @ Crackberry.com. RIM, is hosting their first ever “Live Webinar”, on 9/10/09 2:00 – 3:00PM EST, and what’s even better, IT’S FREE to register! ( How cool is that..?!) Like I have said before, I am not big on the whole”cut & paste” thing, so I will just give you the links so that you can get more info & register if you like.
- To register for the webinar, click HERE.
- To read the article at Crackberry.com, click HERE.
* Flash & Silverlight Coming to BB Browser?!
Another web site that is quickly becoming one of my favorites, is The Boy Genius Report ( BGR). While I was doing my daily web surfing, I cameacross an article there that I was VERY EXCITED to see! RIM has plans to include Flash & Silverlight into the BlackBerry Browser. How exciting is that ?! The plan is a “future plan”, so there is not a release date scheduled, but just the thought that they are planning to add them, makes my day. You can read the original article at BGR.
* The Blackberry Developer’s Conference !
* The Blackberry Developer’s Conference has opened early registration for the conference set for Nov. 9th – 12th , 2009! If you get your registration in early, you can save some cash. The much anticipated BB Developers Conference will take place in San Francisco, CA. ( What a great place to be in November..lol.)
The Blackberry Development Conference will cover such topics as, developer content, presentations, community networking, & MORE! You can also become a Sponsor of the event. ( How cool is that? ! )
If you can’t get you registration in early , there are also some Additional Registration Options for you.
- Group Discounts – If you buy two registrations you get the third registration for free!
- Alumni Discounts – If you attended WES2009 or DevCon 2008 you are entitled to $100 off the registration costs.
- Student Discounts – We are offering valid students the amazing rate of $199.
