Blog
Archive for category: Blackberry
Mobile is changing the way we think about software
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone on July 28, 2010
The mobile application experience is changing the way we think about, value and purchase software. The days of bloatware are slipping and being replaced with more collaborative software experiences. Read more in this week's Upward Mobility column @ Linux Magazine.
Share this post:
Deploying to Blackberry
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Software Development, Technology, Blackberry on July 13, 2010
A client recently had a problem where they could not deploy a custom application to particular handsets. The problem turned out that the device.xml file was out of date. In English, this means that the device was "unknown" to the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. I tracked down this file on RIM's site. I copied it to the c:\program files\common files\research in motion\apploader directory; and repackaged the application. The latter step *may* not actually be necessary, however, it worked, so who am I to argue?
There is also a copy of this device.xml in the c:\program files\research in motion\blackberry enterprise server\packagecache\* folder. This gets updated periodically from the previoulsy mentioned location.
Share this post:
Android and iPhone pulling ahead
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone on June 08, 2010
BlackBerry used to be the king, but now the email giant is falling behind the new generation of devices from Apple and HTC. Read more of my thoughts in this week's Linux Magazine post.
Frank Ableson
MSI Services, Inc.
North Jersey's Computer and Network Specialists
Share this post:
Just how valuable is Titanium?
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm, Windows on March 08, 2010
Mobile development continues to move at break-neck speed. VC backed startup Appcelerator has just announced version 1.0 of their Titanium development environment which allows developers to create applications for multiple platforms including Mac, Linux, Windows, iPhone and Android. All development is done via "web technologies" such as JavaScript and CSS. They have recently updated their tools to move beyond the "use WebKit" for everything model to actually translate javascript code into native code. I take a closer look at Titanium and the path taken to get there in the market in this week's installment of the Upward Mobility column @ Linux Magazine.
Share this post:
Custom UI elements for iPhone, iPod and iPad
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Blackberry, iPhone on March 02, 2010
If you've ever built an application for the iPod family of devices, you've probably run into the Interface Builder tool. This WYSIWYG tool is the standard means for developers to define and "wire up" their code. In my most recent Linux Magazine article, I explore a technique for creating custom, composite controls all in "code". This comes from my exercise in porting some BlackBerry applications to iPhone.
Share this post:
Capturing events on the BlackBerry platform
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Blackberry on January 25, 2010
Troubleshooting applications on the BlackBerry platform can sometimes be more art than science -- as it is with most mobile platforms. In this week's Linux Magazine column, we demonstrate the use of the EventLogger class to aid in capturing important events on the BlackBerry platform.
Share this post:
Tired of lugging your laptop? Me too. Some day, we won’t have to
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Fun, Linux Magazine, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm, Windows on December 22, 2009
I am presently putting (back) together my day to day computing environment. Fortunately for me, my Dell laptop gave up the ghost just a few weeks outside of its warranty. It really didn't owe me anything -- its taken a beating and many many miles in the past three years, one month and 17 days.. but who's counting? I wish I could just plug my phone into my keyboard and mouse... You guessed it, that is the topic of this week's Linux Magazine Upwardly Mobile column.
Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
Share this post:
Customizing BlackBerry Applications
Posted by: Frank Ableson in C12, Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm on November 18, 2009
This week's Upwardly Mobile column at Linux Magazine demonstrates a simple, yet powerful technique of extending the built-in BlackBerry applications with custom menus. We use this technique for some of our client's applications with success.
BlackBerry is perhaps not the most glamourous device, but it is the choice of long-time mobile "power users". Virtually everyone in my C12 group carries a BlackBerry, though there is at least one confirmed iPhone sighting -- but that is excusable as that fellow's company actually does some work with iPhone related hardware.
iPhone, Android, BlackBerry -- all viable and growing platforms. Palm... that is another story. They just launched the Pixi. Hopefully it proves magical for them to win the right to proceed to the next product. Time will tell -- most likely the Christmas shopping season this year.
Share this post:
HTML5 Databases - storing data in the browser
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm on October 26, 2009
One of the big challenges with web applications over the years has been the inability to store data locally -- until now. The HTML5 Database object is an SQL based database that can be used from within the Javascript environment. I have written an article for Linux Magazine entitled: HTML5 Databases; better than sliced bread? which covers this topic using webOS as a vehicle to deliver this content.
Share this post:
Is Apple’s App Store evil? Is Google’s any better?
Posted by: Frank Ableson in Linux Magazine, Software Development, Technology, Android, Blackberry, iPhone, Palm on October 13, 2009
Mobile software deployment is changing. Depending on where sit this is a good thing or a less than good thing. Here are my thoughts, posted at Linux Magazine. Enjoy.
Share this post:
Recent Blog Posts 
