On a recent chore weekend, I found myself with a list of things to fix, pictures to hang, stereo components to rewire, and spaces to measure. I thought about digging through my garage for all the necessary tools, then I decided to have another cup of coffee and check my sports’ scores. I pulled out my BlackBerry Z10 to load my sports app when it hit me: is there an app to help me with my weekend chores? That’s when I found Gadget Box.

Gadget Box is the handyman’s dream. In one application you have a flashlight, speedometer, protractor, level, compass, ruler, Morse Code generator, height estimator, and units converter.  First on my list was to hook up a cables to my TV box for my upstairs TV.

Of course, the TV box was inside a very dark cabinet. No worries. Using the transform hard shell on my BlackBerry Z10, I could prop up the device, turn on the Flashlight and have a steady source of light on my subject. I connected the cables and was done. Since Gadget Box is a Built for BlackBerry application I knew that it followed the BlackBerry UI/UX guidelines for gestures. A simple swipe with my thumb and the flashlight was gone and I was back at the main screen.

Next on the list: hang a new antique, land-line phone on my wall. This chore required me to put two screws in the wall that were in line with each other. I’m told they need to be “plumb”. I guess I need something other than a hammer. So with a couple of self-drilling screws and my BlackBerry Z10, I was ready to go. I put the first screw into the wall, then used the app’s ruler to measure to where the next screw would go. A really groovy thing about Gadget Box’s ruler is that it slides. So I could put my finger on the app’s ruler to “hold it in place” and then slide the Z10. This allows you to measure distances greater than the height of the phone. Very handy.  To make sure the hole was plumb with the other screw; I used the level in Gadget Box. The initial screen had a typical bubble level that I wasn’t too keen to use in this situation. No worries, I clicked the overflow menu where I could select a Plumb Bob and I was all set. Made the mark on the wall, set the screw, and the new land-line phone was hung perfectly straight. Kind of ironic, I used a mobile phone to help hang a land-line phone.

I could go on about my day and how I used Gadget Box, but that probably wouldn’t be the best use of your time. The important take away from this story is that Gadget Box is a Built for BlackBerry application. And because it is, I knew how to use it before I even installed it. The application felt familiar to me from the very first swipe to the last interaction. I also knew that it would provide me more functionality than just a simple single function application. Instead of one app for a flashlight, another for the level, and third for measuring, I had a multi-function application that provided me with enhanced productivity; another key criteria for a Built for BlackBerry application.

The only thing Gadget Box is missing is a duct tape application and a hammer – the two tools I already have. (I don’t recommend using your BlackBerry Z10 as a hammer). So if you’re like me, a weekend handyman, check out Gadget Box and discover the enhanced productivity it can bring to your BlackBerry Z10.

Ever since the launch of BlackBerry 10 on January 30th, momentum for the BlackBerry 10 platform has been explosive – BlackBerry World currently has over 100,000 apps and games and is growing every single day. Now is the time to port your existing apps and build new ones for the rapidly growing Built for BlackBerry platform.

Wavefront and BlackBerry are teaming up to present hands-on development workshops to support your app building and get you prepared to submit to BlackBerry World.

The BlackBerry Jam Starter Session will take you through the basic principles of building BlackBerry apps, with an overview of what to expect through the process. After the session, you will have the opportunity to start building your own BlackBerry apps with support from on-site BlackBerry Evangelists.

Who should attend?

• Developers with an HTML5, Cascades, Air, or Android app, who are ready to port to BlackBerry 10
• Experienced developers wanting to learn more about the BlackBerry opportunity

Why develop apps for BlackBerry?

• Increase your reach to a new audience of early adopters looking for great quality apps
• Showcase your apps that may be buried or lost in other saturated stores
• BlackBerry developers are well supported and rewarded – check it out

What to bring & prepare:

• Laptop running Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Mac
• Download and install the free current versions of WebWorks and Cascades developer tools ahead of time

Agenda:

08:30AM – 09:00AM – Registration and Breakfast

09:00AM – 9:30AM – Presentation Overview

09:30AM – 10:30AM – Intro to HTML5

10:30AM – 10:45AM – Coffee Break

10:45AM – 12:30AM – Hands on Lab – Getting Started with WebWorks

12:30PM – 01:30PM – Lunch

01:30PM – 02:30PM – Intro to Cascades

02:30PM – 02:45PM – Coffee Break

02:45PM – 04:30PM – Hands on Lab – Getting Stared with Cascades

04:30PM – 05:00PM – Wrap Up and Prize Draws

Fee: $25 + HST, includes breakfast, lunch and refreshments.

When:

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

8:30am to 5:00pm

Where:

CRIM

405 Ogilvy Avenue

Suite 101

Montreal, QC, H3N 1M3

When:

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

8:30am to 5:00pm

Where:

Halifax World Trade and Convention Centre

1800 Argyle Street, Suite 101

Halifax, NS

Register now to learn how you can develop cutting edge BlackBerry apps that will increase your reach and grow your revenue.

What’s the Difference Between Appeal and Re-Submit?

Currently, you have the ability to re-submit your application if does not pass Built for BlackBerry. So when should you consider re-submitting your app versus using your one appeal? Only use the Built for BlackBerry Appeals process If you have received a Built for BlackBerry rejection and you believe the current version of your app is Built for BlackBerry worthy. For example, if you have submitted a “single-function” app of significant quality to be reconsidered as part of the Built for BlackBerry program, you may want to appeal. However, you may only appeal one time.

However, if you have received a Built for BlackBerry rejection and have made changes to the application to better align with the criteria necessary to be designated as Built for BlackBerry, then you should re-submit the application since you can have up to three attempts for a positive vetting decision.

Bottom line: if you rework the application, you re-submit. If you think the application should be reconsidered as is, then use your one appeal.

How to Appeal

If you choose not to make any changes to your application and want to enter into the one-time appeal process:

1. Go to the Built for BlackBerry website.
2. Click on Appeals
3. Complete the Built for BlackBerry Appeals Wizard.

Your appeal will be sent to the Built for BlackBerry Appeals Team where the special panel of Built for BlackBerry Appeals Experts will vet the appeal and record their decision. You will be notified of the decision by the Built for BlackBerry Appeals Team. The decision of the Built for BlackBerry Appeals Team is final.

We’re adjusting the Built for BlackBerry program to include an appeals process, to both respond to requests from you, our developer community, while remaining committed to the goal of Built for BlackBerry: to recognize high-quality applications that showcase the power of the new BlackBerry 10 platform. Thank you for your interest in the Built for BlackBerry program and your feedback. Keep those posts and tweets coming!

Momentum for the BlackBerry 10 platform has been explosive since the launch of BlackBerry 10 on January 30^th. BlackBerry World currently has over 70,000 apps and games and is growing every day.  There hasn’t been a better time to start building for BlackBerry.

Wavefront and BlackBerry are teaming up to present hands-on development workshops to support your app building and get you prepared to submit to BlackBerry World.

The BlackBerry Jam Starter Session will take you through the basic principles of building BlackBerry apps, with an overview of what to expect through the process.  After the session, you will have the opportunity to start building your own BlackBerry apps with support from on-site BlackBerry Evangelists.

Who should attend?
•    Developers with a HTML5, Adobe AIR, or Android app ready to port to BlackBerry 10
•    Experienced developers wanting to learn more about the BlackBerry opportunity

Why develop apps for BlackBerry?
•    Increase your reach to a new audience of early adopters looking for great quality apps
•    Showcase your apps that may be buried or lost in other saturated stores

What to bring & prepare:
•    Laptop running Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Mac OS X
•    Download and install the free current versions of BlackBerry 10 WebWorks or BlackBerry 10 Native SDK (Cascades) developer tools

Vancouver

When:
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
8:30am – 5:00pm

Where:
SFU – Harbour Centre
Room 7000
515 West Hasting St
Vancouver, BC

When:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
8:30am to 5:00pm

Saskatoon

Where:
TCU Place
Gallery Room D
35 – 22nd Street East
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan  S7K 0C8

Agenda:
08:30AM – 09:00AM – Registration and Breakfast
09:00AM – 9:30AM – Presentation Overview
09:30AM – 10:30AM – Intro to HTML5
10:30AM – 10:45AM – Coffee Break
10:45AM – 12:30AM – Hands on Lab – Getting Started with WebWorks
12:30PM – 01:30PM – Lunch
01:30PM – 02:30PM – Intro to Cascades
02:30PM – 02:45PM – Coffee Break
02:45PM – 04:30PM – Hands on Lab – Getting Stared with Cascades
04:30PM – 05:00PM – Wrap Up and Prize Draws

Fee: $25 + HST, includes breakfast, lunch and refreshments.

Register now to learn how you can develop cutting edge BlackBerry apps that will increase your reach and grow your revenue.

Let’s start with the very groovy BlackBerry keyboard. By now, you have seen (and may have experienced) the ease of using the keyboard. You have probably grown very fond of the predictive text and the ability to flip words into the text stream. But here are a couple of things about the keyboard you may not know.

Popup Letters. In default mode, when you press a key on the keyboard that key is momentarily highlighted to provide visual feedback of the key pressed. However, if you have large thumbs you may not be able to see that feedback. For some people, that’s not a problem as predictive text is their feedback. For others, they want a little more feedback. No worries, you can use the Settings app to turn on Popup Letters. To change this setting, swipe from the top bezel to drop the Settings menu, then click Settings, then Language and Input. In the middle you will find Text Input. Here, you click On-Screen Keyboard to change the options of the keyboard. Turning on Keypress Pop-up will make the keyboard pop-up the letter with each press.

Dropping Keyboard. The keyboard is one of the great features of BlackBerry 10, or in my opinion any smartphone. Sometimes you need to dismiss the keyboard. There are three easy ways to dismiss a keyboard. First, if you swipe down on the keyboard with two fingers, the keyboard disappears. You can also swipe up from the bottom bezel to close the keyboard. This action is actually a toggle. So if you have a situation where you don’t have a keyboard and need one, swipe up from the bottom bezel to bring the keyboard back. The final way, is to press and hold the space bar. This is my favorite way to dismiss the keyboard since I tend to use my BlackBerry Z10 with one hand. On the space bar you will see a little icon of the keyboard with a little down arrow. This is a reminder that holding the space bar will drop the keyboard.

Quick Setting Actions. By now you are probably pretty familiar with the quick settings menu: a swipe down from the top bezel while on the home screen or the active app screen brings down a quick settings menu. The groovy thing about this menu is it serves two functions. If you want to adjust a setting for say, Bluetooth, you click on the word Bluetooth and you are taken directly to the settings page for that feature. However, if all you want to do is turn Bluetooth off, click the icon to quickly toggle the feature. If the feature is on, clicking the icon turns it off and if the feature is off, a click of the icon turns it on. Really great for putting the BlackBerry Z10 into silent mode: just click the icon next to the Notifications label and all notifications are silenced!

Letting Someone Know Where You Are. So the other day, I was waiting for some friends in a restaurant in Amsterdam. It was a tricky little walk to find the restaurant and my friends got lost. Since I knew how to get there, I simply sent them a BBM and asked them to share their location. With that information, I could help them navigate to the restaurant. Since they were also on BlackBerry 10, they could easily send me their location. They clicked me in their BBM contact list. Then, they clicked the Attach icon at the bottom. This gives them options to attach pictures, voice note, contact, appointment, file, or even location. From there, they attached their current location. Once I got the BBM, I could then give them directions to the restaurant. Incredibly handy feature.

Quick Pane Navigation. As with any smartphone, after a while you learn which pane a specific or favorite application lives. Let’s say your favorite game is on pane number 4. One of the great things about BlackBerry 10 is you can navigate straight to pane number 4 by clicking the fourth dot at the bottom. This click jumps you straight to pane four and your favorite game. You can also quickly scroll by clicking and dragging on the dots at the bottom. A quick way to glance through each pane.

The thing is, I could go on for pages and pages about all the really cool things about BlackBerry 10, but what about you? Leave a comment with your favorite BlackBerry 10 feature, tip, or trick so we can all share in the richness of BlackBerry 10.

The goal of Sparkle is to “embark on an extraordinary journey to uncover the secrets of Crowberry Woods. Banish the darkness with your Orb Slinger and reclaim your land!” The game play is brilliant in its simplicity; you use your Orb Slinger to throw colored orbs at a line of moving orbs. When your orb hits the line, if it makes a string of at least three of the same color, those orbs are banished. You keep throwing orbs until all the moving orbs are banished or until an orb falls in the hole at the end.

There is also a fun storyline, power-ups, and secret amulets that keeps the game interesting and engaging. Another big feature of the game is it is also a Built For BlackBerry game.

What is Built For BlackBerry?

If you’re a frequent follower of this blog or BlackBerry development in general, then you probably already know about Built For BlackBerry and can skip to the next section. If not, here’s a quick overview of Built For BlackBerry:

The Built For BlackBerry program was designed to allow end users of BlackBerry 10 applications to identify the truly high-quality, cream of the crop application and games. These applications and games went above and beyond just developing for the platform – they embraced the ideas and philosophies behind the BlackBerry 10 platform. There are five key areas where the application must excel: User Benefits, User Experience, Performance, Service Integration, and Security. It is not easy to become a Built For BlackBerry application or game, so let’s look at how Sparkle did it.

User Benefits

Clearly almost every application or game made must provide some level of user benefit; if it didn’t, you probably wouldn’t have made the application. To qualify for Built For BlackBerry, the bar is set higher. Your application or game has to provide genuine entertainment value, enhanced productivity, and/or enriched communication. Looking at Sparkle, it provides genuine entertainment value beyond a basic game. A basic game might just allow you clear the orbs level after level of monotonous orb banishing. But in Sparkle, there is genuine long-term entertainment with the addition of a storyline, power-ups, and mysterious quests.

User Experience

The User Experience area for Built For BlackBerry is about providing the user with a pleasing experience and an easy-to-navigate application or game. It is about taking advantage of the form factor and using it to your advantage. Sparkle runs in landscape mode only and it utilizes the maximum amount of screen real estate. The application navigation is simple and user friendly. Simple taps launch the orbs and swipes move the aim. There is also a nice background soundtrack and theme feedback sounds on button clicks. Familiar gestures are used, like swipe down from the top to pause the game and reach the options menu, and the animation is ridiculously smooth and pleasing.

Performance

The performance criteria are about how the application uses the system resources including CPU, memory, network, battery, etc. It is difficult to see this criterion when running the application except to know that I can play for a very, very, very long time before the battery dies.

Service Integration

To qualify for Built For BlackBerry, an application must integrate with the system in some way. Games are not required to integrate with the system, but are encouraged to do so. Sparkle integrates with Scoreloop, the social gaming component of BlackBerry 10. Scoreloop allows a game to post achievements, awards, leaderboards, and challenges.

Security

To qualify in the Security criteria, you need to do a couple things. First, you need to be good to your users. Don’t send passwords in clear text; don’t make any monetary transactions without asking permission; and don’t use the user’s data in a malicious way. You want your users to trust you so they will buy more of your applications or games. The second thing you must do is provide a link to your privacy policy in the vendor portal of BlackBerry World.

Conclusion

When building your application or game, I encourage you to utilize the guidelines and create a Built For BlackBerry application or game. It isn’t easy, as the Built For BlackBerry logo is not awarded to just any application or game – it must be earned. The Built For BlackBerry logo will identify your application or game as cream of the crop and that, I feel, will lead to more downloads and happier customers. And who knows, your application or game may get featured in a blog post like this one!

Recall that Built For BlackBerry applications go through two rounds of testing. The first round is the standard BlackBerry World testing that all applications must pass before they are allowed in BlackBerry World. This testing must be completed before you submit your application to Built For BlackBerry testing. We strongly encourage you to have your application submitted to BlackBerry World testing by January 11th, 2013. Once your application has passed BlackBerry World testing, you submit it to Built For BlackBerry testing. However, if you are building a BlackBerry WebWorks application, you don’t submit the same binary.

That’s right, in order for our testing agency to complete the Built For BlackBerry testing on BlackBerry WebWorks applications, we need you to submit a debug version of the application. Don’t panic – this is very easy to do and you can create the debug version the same time you create the non-debug version.

Perhaps the simplest way to create the debug version of the application is to use the Apache Ant build script. But if Ant just ain’t your thing, no worries – you can create your debug application using the command line packager bbwp. All you have to do is pass the debug switch (-d) like this:

bbwp “c:\myapp\apparchive.zip” -d -o “c:\myapp\debug”

The bbwp script takes the name and location of the application archive as the first argument: here c:\myapp\apparchive.zip. The -d switch tells the script to enable Web Inspector, thus creating a debug version of the application. The -o switch specifies the output directory for the bar file. That’s it! You now have a debug version of your application. Finally, make sure you sign the debug version of your application.

You now have two identical copies of your application. You have the non-debug version that is created without the -d, and a debug version which is created with the -d option. The non-debug version is the one you will submit to BlackBerry World testing. Make sure you do not submit the debug version to BlackBerry World testing. Once your application passes, you need to submit the debug version to Built For BlackBerry testing.

Log into the BlackBerry Vendor Portal and navigate to the manage products area. Make sure your application is Up For Sale in BlackBerry World. Then select Add Release and upload the debug version of your application.

Enter “Debug” in the Release section and select Apply for Built For BlackBerry. Read and agree to the Built For BlackBerry and 10k Developer Commitment terms and conditions and click Save. That’s it, you’re all done. Congratulations, your BlackBerry WebWorks application is now correctly submitted!

Well, it’s easy. Prior to January 21st, 2013 (the cut-off date for the 10k Developer Commitment), log in to your vendor account in BlackBerry World. Then, click the Manage Products link. Your screen should look something like this:

The first thing to take notice is the Status of your application. Before you can apply for Built For BlackBerry, the status must be Approved or Up For Sale. If your application has not been approved for BlackBerry World, you cannot submit it to Built For BlackBerry testing. If the status is approved, you will see the word Apply underneath the heading “Built For BlackBerry”. Go ahead, click that link.

Here is where you agree to the terms and conditions of the two programs. If you are only interested in the Built For BlackBerry Program, you only need read and agree to those terms. This means your application or game will go through Built For BlackBerry testing but will not be eligible for the 10k Developer Commitment. If you want to be part of the 10k Developer Commitment, then you must read and agree to both terms and conditions. Once you have read and agreed to the terms, check the boxes next to the appropriate terms and conditions and click Save.

Your Manage Product screen will be updated to show you have applied for the program and your application is Pending approval.

Once your application or game has passed the Built For BlackBerry testing, the term Pending will change to Approved. But what if something is amiss? What if your application or game is Rejected?

Don’t panic – you’ll see that there is a message icon next to the term Rejected. Clicking this message icon will show you the reason(s) why your application failed the Built For BlackBerry testing. You can fix those issues in your application and resubmit the application for Built For BlackBerry testing.

That’s really all there is to it! Built For BlackBerry will identify your application as a great BlackBerry 10 application. I am really excited to start seeing, using, and playing all the Built For BlackBerry applications and games. Remember, launch is January 30th 2013, so make sure you get your apps into Built For BlackBerry testing before January 21st, 2013.

I recently presented three webcasts focusing on the 10k Developer Commitment and the Built For BlackBerry® Program. If you aren’t familiar with these programs, the first webcast provides an excellent introduction.

In the Built for BlackBerry program, you will be able to submit BlackBerry® 10 WebWorks™ or BlackBerry® 10 Native apps for approval.  Approval through the Built for BlackBerry program will signify to customers a higher level of quality. With a crowded app market, this designation may increase the chances of your app being downloaded.  This will be free (for now). BlackBerry 10 apps that pass will receive “Built for BlackBerry” quality status, which you can display with your app on your site, in BlackBerry App World – anywhere you market your apps.  This is a great opportunity for professional developers to powerfully differentiate their apps in BlackBerry App World.

We are so committed to the success of BlackBerry® 10, that we  guarantee that your Built for BlackBerry-approved application will earn at least $10,000 USD in the first year or we will pay the difference.  If your app earns¹ at least $1,000 USD, but less than $10,000 USD, remains on sale for a 12 month period as outlined by RIM and maintains its’ Built for BlackBerry designation for the duration of the 12 months and otherwise meets the eligibility criteria, RIM will pay you the difference between what you earned and $10,000 USD².  Developers are only eligible to receive this one time.  The 10K Developer Commitment is a limited-funds offer and will continue only until the $10 million fund pool is exhausted. Funds will be distributed in order of priority based on the date upon which apps reach $1,000 USD in earnings. See the Terms and Conditions for complete details.

Don’t think of this as RIM paying you to develop for BlackBerry 10, it is our commitment to you that quality applications will make at least $10,000 USD. We’re confident your quality applications will make over $10K in the first year; we’re just providing a kind of insurance policy to you, a financial cushion, if you will.

After you have been introduced to the programs, take a listen to the second webcast: Built For BlackBerry: UX, UI, and System Integration. In this Webcast I go a little deeper into the User Experience, User Interface, and System integration criteria in the Built For BlackBerry program. You will see examples of good user experience, UI design, and system integration. The Webcast also discusses best practices for user interface elements like tabs, menus, and action bars. You’ll get information about integration with BBM™, Push, the Invocation Framework, and NFC.

The third webcast focuses on performance. For this webcast I have assembled three experts from each of the key BlackBerry 10 Platforms. Roberto Speranza will talk about his Top 10 tips to address performance on Native Development. Graham Robertson will take you on a tour of increasing the performance of your BlackBerry® WebWorks™ applications and Dustin Malik will look at AIR and some performance recommendations. This webcast is crammed with great tips and information for your applications.

If you missed the webcasts, this is a great opportunity to get caught up. If you attended the Webcasts, you can review the material to make sure you got every nugget of information. Here is the link to the webcast recordings and for more information about the programs, check out 10k Commitment and Built for BlackBerry.

I was recently in Raleigh, North Carolina at the NCDevCon Conference. I was presenting things to think about when developing a mobile application. Sometimes, it seems that in the rush to get an application built and out the door, designers and developers forget that a mobile device is not the same as a desktop device.

In this session, I cover everything from Platform choices and development options to physical differences between desktop and mobile computing. I also discuss the mobile user experience and how mobile devices are used differently than desktops.

Fortunately, the nice people at NC State are graciously hosting the recording of this session. I invite you to watch the session and maybe pick up a nugget or two.

(Tom also did an interview with DZone – here’s the video. – Ed.)