BlackBerry Developer Blog » Shaun A.

BlackBerry ID: One login to rule them all

Shaun A. — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 22:25:56 +0000

One of our biggest goals over the past year has been improving our community’s developer experience. There are a lot of moving parts to that. We’ve improved code signing stability, revamped the website, seeded BlackBerry® 10 Dev Alpha testing devices, launched a rewards program and more. But we’re not slowing down; we’re continuing to look for new ways to help our community.

In the next few weeks, we’ll be launching the first phase of this project. When we launch, we’ll publish another blog post and notifications on what you need to do then. Today I wanted to let you know about the next improvement, focused on how you login to our systems. Though the BlackBerry® JamZone login has served us well over the last few years, the current design has limited our ability to build some really cool things to enhance the community’s experience. We’ve made the decision to transition the BlackBerry JamZone to use BlackBerry® ID. Our friends over at the BlackBerry® Beta Zone are moving to BlackBerry® ID also.

The first phase of this project will require transitioning your current JamZone login to a BlackBerry ID login. More specific information on that is below. Don’t panic — existing accounts tied to your JamZone account login, such as bug tracker and Lithium as well as badges, will automatically be upgraded as well. Ultimately, our goal is one login.

Again, this won’t be launching for a few weeks, and there will be another blog post and notifications when it goes live. If you already have a BlackBerry ID, you’re ahead of the game. How do you know? If you have a BlackBerry® smartphone or a BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, you already have a BlackBerry ID. It’s what you use to purchase apps or set up your BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Eventually, that will become your single login for all BlackBerry properties.

After the rollout, when you log in to your JamZone account, you will be asked which login you want to use: JamZone (old system) or BlackBerry ID (new system).

If you choose to log in with your JamZone account, you will be asked to either create a BlackBerry ID account if you don’t already have one, or link your BlackBerry ID account if you do have one. Then you will complete a quick account validation, and after that you’re logged in with BlackBerry ID. You will continue to log in with BlackBerry ID in the future. (You will no longer be able to log in with your JamZone account credentials.)

If you choose to log in with BlackBerry ID, you will complete a quick account validation, and after that you’ll be logged in with BlackBerry ID and will continue to log in that way in the future.

You will be able to log in to JamZone, the Developer Support Forums, Issue Tracker, and Rewards using your BlackBerry ID. Joining webcasts will be easier as well, and you will also be able to change your account’s email address. This is only the first phase of a bigger project to improve your online experience.

Again, this is not happening today but in a few weeks, and we will let you know when it goes live. We’re pretty excited about rolling out this new system, and we can’t wait to see what you use those brain cells for, once you no longer have so many logins to remember. The next great app idea, perhaps?

Test your BlackBerry 10 apps in BlackBerry App World!

Shaun A. — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:56:33 +0000

Guest post from Lou G. – Ed.

Everyone here in Developer Relations at RIM® is excited that developers are now able to submit their BlackBerry® 10 applications to the BlackBerry App World™ storefront and target BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing devices. This means that developers who are using the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing devices will be able to download and test each other’s applications through BlackBerry App World.

How do you submit an application? It’s the same process you’d use for any other BlackBerry® smartphone or BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet app – you just need to select the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha for your app.

Next, apps are vetted for content to ensure that the BlackBerry App World Vendor Guidelines are adhered to. Then they’re tested to ensure they do not interfere with the normal operation of the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing device. You may be contacted by a member of the Review Team if they run into any problems or have any questions/concerns. This entire process normally takes a five to ten business days.

Once your application is Approved, it will automatically be posted Up for Sale. You can opt out of this automatic posting during the submission process, but must be done prior to submitting your application(s) for approval. Keep in mind it may take a few hours before your application is searchable and visible in BlackBerry App World.

The recent update to the OS on the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing devices includes a BlackBerry App World client, so developers will have to update their test devices to access apps. Additionally, anyone that visits the BlackBerry App World webstore will be able to see your application after you click “Post for Sale”. Please ensure that you use app Icons and descriptions with that in mind.

You can also choose to leave the application in an Approved status. This allows you to deep link to your application using the AppID (found on the Details page of your application). Using the standard Web Store URL, you can deep link to your application from a device. The standard Web Store URL is http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/;. You can download your application using the deep link for testing purposes and you can share this link with select users for targeted testing.
All applications on the store can be reviewed, but only by users who purchase or download the application. Use these reviews for your testing purposes. These will be reset when you submit your application for commercial release of BlackBerry 10.

As a BlackBerry App World vendor with an application live in the store, you are able to generate download and purchase reports for your app.

Finally, we recommend that your app is available for free as this is a testing period. However, we do allow you to charge for your app and test in-app payments.

Happy testing and we look forward to seeing all your great apps!

We’re looking for a few great devs!

Shaun A. — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 15:00:12 +0000

As Alec said in his post last week, we’re committed to working with you to build the best mobile platform ecosystem. Part of that effort is making sure we have the team in place to help our developers build amazing apps for BlackBerry. Recently we posted about positions we’re hiring for on the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ R&D team. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg – there are a ton of great opportunities on the BlackBerry® Developer Relations team! (And for some roles, you don’t even have to be able to cleverly code comic book character related statements.)

In Developer Relations, we don’t have “customers” — we have the BlackBerry developer community. Smart, passionate, creative folks who build everything from utilities to games that make the BlackBerry experience great. We’re making developing for BlackBerry the most seamless, rewarding, and lucrative experience there is.

From code to communities, Waterloo to Beijing, we’re looking for people to help us provide the BlackBerry developer community with the best possible experience, beginning well before they even start on the “Hello World” sample. We’re looking for people all over the world, so check out the list below and see which role piques your interest. Or if you know someone else who’d be a perfect fit, share like the wind!

Evangelism

Are you at your best when you’re out and about, meeting people, spreading the word and sharing the love? Sounds like you’re already an evangelist. Testify!

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (Toronto)

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (France)

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (Poland)

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (China)

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (Dubai)

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (India)

BlackBerry Developer Evangelist (South Korea)

Technical Platform Experts

Is your brain chock full of handy technical tidbits about SDKs, HTML5, Java® and other platform goodness? Can you teach geeky topics in your sleep? Sounds like you’d be a great platform expert.

Application Development Consultant (Waterloo/Mississauga)

Application Development Consultant – Web (Waterloo/Mississauga)

Application Development Consultant (LATAM)

Web Properties Development

Putting your code skills to work building the kind of websites you as a dev would love to use. Sound more like play than work? Web devs, this way:

Web Developer (Waterloo)

Web Project Manager (Waterloo)

Project Management

Are you the organizer, the fixer, the person who gets things done? We’d love to have your project management skills on board.

Project Manager (Singapore)

Web Project Manager (Waterloo)

Project Manager, Developer Relations (Waterloo)

Senior Product Marketing Manager, Developer Relations (Waterloo)

Marketing

Are you a great host, love to connect people, and have a knack for adding polish and just the right touches to any project? Dive in on our Marketing team.

Marketing Coordinator (Jakarta)

Marketing Coordinator (Beijing/Shanghai)

Community Manager, Developer Relations (Waterloo)

Marketing Manager (Waterloo/Mountain View)

Marketing Coordinator – Developer Relations & Eco Systems (Indonesia)