BlackBerry 10 ante portas

You’re a developer of mobile applications ?

please mark some magic dates in your calendar:

since 10 – 10 (2012 – 10- 10) BlackBerry AppWorld is open for BlackBerry 10 Applications

2012 – 12 – 11 ( 2+1+2+1+2+1+1 = 10) BlackBerry 10 SDK goes Gold

2013-01-21 (2+1+3+1+2+1 = 10) last day to submit your App to earn at least $10 K USD

2013 – 01 – 30 (2+1+3+1+3 = 10) BlackBerry 10 Launch worldwide

BlackBerry 10 is not only a new mobile OS – it’s a new mobile platform developed from scratch based on on a stable core: QNX.

I cannot predict the future …

… but BlackBerry 10 will really change the way you’re using a mobile device:

the FLOW and “peeking” between apps is the magic – this opens up new ways for developers to write cool applications.

BlackBerry Balance shifts BYOD to a new level: secure private and work perimeters without frustations.

Enterprises will use BES 10 with Universal Device Management to manage BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices smoothly.

Consumers will like the new Camera with Time Warp function.

BlackBerry 10 devices will be available as pure-touch like Android or iOS and also with a physical keyboard. Even the virtual keyboard will change the way you type text: it’s cool to swipe words up or delete words without changing thumb – positions. I also like that I can add up to 3 languages supported: easy to mix english and german per ex.

RIM is doing a great job to support developers to write applications for BB10. Design Guidelines explain, how a BB10 Application should look like. A new “Built for BlackBerry 10” program helps you to get a certification and if you’re developing a paid app there’s a chance to earn at least 10.000 USD first year after launch.

The BlackBerry AppWorld is already open to submit applications and you can get Dev Alpha Devices to test your new BB 10 app on a real device. More and more Open Source projects help you to understand HowTo develop applications for BlackBerry 10.

2013 the cards will be reshuffled

I’m a mobile developer and I’m a fan of native applications – in this case native applications means Cascades. Cascades allows you to develop applications using the FLOW: the magic in this case is the underlaying Invocation Framework: you can provide “Cards” and also use “Cards” from other applications and the user won’t notice this while finishing a task.

How are BlackBerry 10 – Cards working ?

I developed Casacdes Applications using the Invocation Framework:

a target application (OpenDataSpace Developer Preview) providing Cards
a client application (File-Upload 2 ODS Cloud) using Cards

…so it’s easy to follow from the sources.

If you already use a BB10 Dev Alpha you can download both Apps fromAppWorld – simply search for ‘Cascades’ or ‘OpenDataSpace’

Both Apps are Open-Source (Apache) and using the OpenDataSpace Cloud. (Up to 2 GB Dataspace and up to 5 Users are Free and there are also Android and iOS Apps so you can use the Cloud for cross-platform-apps.

There’s also another blog by me giving you some more technical details and source-snippets HowTo invoke Cards.

Here’s an overview:

Client APP invokes a Card from Target APP. The Target will be started automatically in background invisible for the user.

Card will be integrated into User workflow without letting the user know, that he/she is using a functionality from another app. User still follows the workflow of his/her task.

Signals / Slots provide an easy way to know what happened while the user was working thru the cards from Target App.

Cards can be used as Previewers or Composers. Previewers are sliding in from the right and you can go back using “Peek” where Composers are sliding in from the Button and you have to finish the Card using a OK or Cancel Action or Back Buttopn from ActionBar. If you’re providing Cards it’s a good practice to provide both kinds of Cards – then the Client App can choose what fits better into their workflow.

It’s up to the developer to decide how to invoke cards: deep integration with a bound invocation, where you know the target and invoke a target ID explicitely and exchange data. I did this in the example above. Or you’re using unbound invocations with filtering on URI and/or Mime-Types and let the Invocation Framework give you the choices to select an app. You also can provide meta-informations to the Invocation Framework to become part of the system-wide “Open in…” or “Share with…” Actions from Context Menus. Another option allows you to start an App providing a Service in background. The BlackBerry 10 Invocation Framework allows much more in respect of deep application integration then Android Intents and Services from my POV.

You know probably my Conference2Go Applications I’m writing for german conferences (JAX, W-JAX, MTC) or Eclipse (EclipseCON Europe, EclipseCON America) – in 2013 these apps will be available for BlackBerry 10 and I will use Cards from other Apps. I know that Evernote and Foursquare will support BB 10 Invocation Framework, so I’ll integrate Notes from Evernote, auto-checkin at Foursquare and use File-to-Cloud Upload Card from my OpenDataSpace App – all integrated seamless into one app.

More informations:

Videos about OpenDataSpace, Cascades, Invocation Framework
Blog with details about BB10 Cards and Screenshots about FLOW, Peek and more

Meet me in Munich at Eclipse Democamp

Eclipse Democamp on Dec-5: I will develop a Cascades App in 15 Minutes – a session without slides, pure coding.

Please register here and take a look at the sessions.

More about BlackBerry 10 at Mini Jam in Munich, Cologne, Hamburg

It’s free and please register soon – the Mini Jam in Hamburg (2012-11-27) is already sold-out.

UI Design on Android 4 and BlackBerry 10

Are you developing crossplatform – native Apps ? At Mobile Developer Conference in Stuttgart I talked about ‘Cool Apps for Smartphones and Tablets’ .

If you want to know about some of the key differences on UI Design between Android 4 and BlackBerry 10, my session is available as Video with Audio in german and english.

See you at one of the upcoming conferences.