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	<title>BlackBerry Developer Blog &#187; developer success</title>
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		<title>BlackBerry Developer Blog &#187; developer success</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com</link>
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		<title>BlackBerry Developer Success Story &#8211; Perico Pirata</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/09/dev-success-perico-pirata/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/09/dev-success-perico-pirata/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Sep 2012 20:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Milena H</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adobe air]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry playbook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[case study]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Perico Pirata]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PlayBook app development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=10937</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When Javier D&#8217;Accorso learned about the Desafío BlackBerry contest last March, the longtime developer decided to participate and develop an application for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. After partnering with graphic designer Damian Hadyi, D&#8217;Accorso leveraged Adobe AIR to develop an interactive children&#8217;s storybook application that has become popular in both his native Argentina as well [&#8230;]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=10937&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10938" title="" src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/pericopirata-screenshot.png?w=480&#038;h=281" alt="TITLE_IMAGE" width="480" height="281" /></p>
<p>When Javier D&#8217;Accorso learned about the Desafío BlackBerry contest last March, the longtime developer decided to participate and develop an application for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. After partnering with graphic designer Damian Hadyi, D&#8217;Accorso leveraged Adobe AIR to develop an interactive children&#8217;s storybook application that has become popular in both his native Argentina as well as around the world.</p>
<p>D&#8217;Accorso talked about the benefits of receiving ongoing support from the RIM® team in Argentina, the speed and straightforward nature of developing for the <a href="http://www.blackberry.com/playbook" target="_new">BlackBerry PlayBook</a> tablet, and the features he was able to easily integrate into the app.</p>
<p><strong>Q: How important is the support you&#8217;ve received from the RIM team in Argentina?</strong></p>
<p>Javier: BlackBerry smartphones are extremely popular in Argentina and as a result there is a great group of BlackBerry developers and forums in the country. It&#8217;s important in any community to have the opportunity to ask questions, learn from others and be recognized for what you do. RIM has done a wonderful job enabling that exchange of information.</p>
<p><span id="more-10937"></span></p>
<p>I actually developed the <a href="https://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/38715/?lang=en" target="_new">Perico Pirata</a> children&#8217;s storybook application for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet as part of the ‘Desafío BlackBerry’ challenge. A really important moment in the development process was my participation in the Buenos Aires Hackathon. I interacted with industry experts and formed ongoing relationships with a number of RIM gurus, who I continue to work with. Thanks to their experience and rapid responses, I&#8217;ve been able to incorporate lots of functionality into the application. This level of personal interaction is something you don&#8217;t find working with other platforms, where you need to look through dozens of forums to get any answers.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Describe your experience developing for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?</strong></p>
<p>Javier: My partner and I combined storybook elements with the powerful technology of the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and quickly saw how we could make something simple yet appealing. I analyzed the distinct programming languages and decided to develop using Adobe AIR, which was an excellent decision. It was amazing just how easy it was to implement all of our ideas. I barely had to do anything to make a compilation for the BlackBerry PlayBook and the animation ran smoothly and quickly. I was extremely impressed by the hardware on the BlackBerry PlayBook &#8211; the performance and graphics were incredible and it was very easy to incorporate the level of interaction that we wanted.</p>
<p>The Perico Pirata children&#8217;s storybook application took us about a month to develop. That&#8217;s including the last two weeks, which was time that we used to gather feedback from having the app tested by family and friends. I believe that anyone working with Flash on the web, or with another mobile platform, should try developing for the PlayBook because it&#8217;s so easy.</p>
<p><strong>Q: What are some of the features that you&#8217;ve been able to incorporate into the application?</strong></p>
<p>Javier: We heard from parents who tried the app and they agreed that it would be great to be able to interact with the microphone. I was able to tweak the functionality so the user could speak to the characters in the application and hear their voices as they responded. I checked online to learn how to make the appropriate changes in Adobe AIR and we had them done within a day or so. I was also impressed with how easy it was to integrate the camera. After referring to the available documentation, the app had full, camera functionality.</p>
<p><strong>Q: Do you plan on developing games for the BlackBerry 10 platform?</strong></p>
<p>Javier: Absolutely. There are a few children&#8217;s games I&#8217;ve worked on in conjunction with some big entertainment and production companies that I would love to bring onto the BlackBerry 10 platform. I&#8217;ve been researching the BlackBerry 10 SDK for Adobe AIR and I&#8217;m excited for the great functionality that the new platform will offer. My experience developing for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet has been so straightforward and the performance has been incredible. I think this next stage will be just as simple and powerful.</p>
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			<media:title type="html">milenahewitt</media:title>
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		<title>Learn from the best: App development insights from one of our most successful devs</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/dev-success-kisai-labs/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/dev-success-kisai-labs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:40:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Kinsella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adobe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[API]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry webworks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blaq]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kisai Labs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=8933</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An interview with Jerome Carty of Kisai Labs about working with the BlackBerry development platform to build Blaq, his successful BlackBerry PlayBook tablet Twitter client.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=8933&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8934" title="" src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/blaq.jpg?w=300&#038;h=300" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></p>
<p>Jerome Carty’s momentum has been building since he first decided to develop apps three years ago. A long-time Java® programmer, Jerome founded <a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/168/?lang=en" target="_new">Kisai Labs</a> and has used his knowledge to develop highly successful applications for BlackBerry® smartphones and the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet – including <a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/44453/?lang=en" target="_new">Blaq</a>, a popular Twitter client for the tablet. As a part-time developer, Jerome needs powerful development tools that are simple and efficient to work with. Working closely with the Research In Motion® (RIM®) development team and an engaged user base, Jerome has designed creative, useful applications that have generated buzz within the BlackBerry community.</p>
<p>Jerome talked to us about the importance of his engagement with RIM and his user base, working with BlackBerry® WebWorks™, newly released APIs, and developing a successful BlackBerry PlayBook tablet application in only one month.</p>
<p><span id="more-8933"></span></p>
<p><strong>Dev Blog: Why has your partnership with the RIM development team been so important?</strong></p>
<p>Jerome: For me personally, the ability to talk to actual people about the smallest details rather than hearing a canned response is an asset. I’ve dabbled with other platforms but keep returning to work with RIM, and a huge reason for that is the people who are willing to help. The development team has helped my applications gain exposure, and outreach by RIM on social media like Twitter® and within forums has been really useful. I can also say that the users themselves are very engaged with the applications and help promote it to others. A big part of Blaq’s success was the engagement of BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users. They built a ton of hype and word of mouth buzz before it even launched, which was crucial to its success.</p>
<p><strong>Dev Blog: Why do you like working with the new BlackBerry Operating Systems?</strong></p>
<p>Jerome: APIs are really important for me and any time you have a code that goes from up to 100 lines to just five, it makes any developer’s life simpler. That’s the reality of developing for BlackBerry now. For example, the new network and communication APIs have made it much easier to consume web services such as Twitter. Also, in the past you had to code a lot of images or processes like a JavaScript® Object Notation (JSON) by hand, but with these APIs my workload has dropped dramatically and my development time has been reduced. I’m also experimenting more with BlackBerry WebWorks. Learning that has been a relatively easy process.</p>
<p>Between the APIs and the other development software, I think that RIM is providing enough tools for any developer from any background to jump in and start. All you need is an idea and the means to do it.</p>
<p><strong>Dev Blog: How were you able to develop Blaq &#8211; your successful BlackBerry PlayBook tablet application &#8211; in just one month?</strong></p>
<p>Jerome: For this one, I used Adobe® Flash Builder software, which is an Eclipse-based development tool. It was my first full experience using Adobe® AIR® and ActionScript®. I found working with Adobe AIR to be relatively simple because of my past involvement with Java and all the great resources that were readily available online. I did an application when the Adobe AIR SDK first came out and it only took me four hours to come up with a simple browser. It’s easy for anyone with a Java or JavaScript background because Adobe AIR sort of combines the two. As I mentioned, the variety and quality of APIs took out a lot of the guesswork for me. In less than 30 days we went from concept to actual launch and it was the highest grossing launch of a paid app for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. Updating the application was also a smooth process.</p>
<p><strong>Dev Blog: How have you integrated your applications with the native features and functions of BlackBerry smartphones and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?</strong></p>
<p>Jerome: When it launched, Blaq was one of the only applications in BlackBerry App World™ storefront that had a real-time stream of Twitter, which was significant. When we launched the 1.5 version, we added native notifications, which is something that everybody wanted. The notifications turned out to be one of the best things that we included in the application. We use touch gestures, we can upload photos directly from the application and we have a native web-view inside the application. If you click on a link inside of the application you don’t have to exit the app and go into the browser. It feels like a full experience within the application. Incorporating these integrated characteristics really adds to the overall user experience.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks for your time, Jerome!</strong></p>
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			<media:title type="html">Alex K.</media:title>
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		<title>7 days, 600 apps later&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/7-days-600-apps-later/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/7-days-600-apps-later/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:28:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Kinsella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dev Con]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlackBerry 10 Jam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry app world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[prize]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=8962</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Six apps so far have qualified for a prize package that will bring them to the BlackBerry 10 Jam in Orlando, Florida.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=8962&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/img_000001441.jpg?w=600&#038;h=352" alt="title_image" title="" width="600" height="352" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8978" /></p>
<p>Last week, Alec Saunders <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/developer-momentum/" target="_new">announced an offer</a> where the developer of every 100th app submitted to BlackBerry App World™ would be eligible for a prize package that will bring them to the BlackBerry® 10 Jam in Orlando, Florida from May 1-3. (Click <a href="http://us.blackberry.com//developers/started/100appcontest.jsp">here</a> for legal terms and conditions). Here we are a week and 600+ apps later and we already have six developers eligible.</p>
<p>Here are the six apps that qualified so far. Keep the apps coming!</p>
<p><a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103608" target="_new">Donna&#8217;s Premier Lodging</a> by Kickinthe App (United States)</p>
<p><a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103719" target="_new">Joan Of Arc Comic</a> by ZERO-SUM, LTD (Japan)</p>
<p><a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103832" target="_new">RadDeg</a> by Bartho (Germany)</p>
<p><a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/103937" target="_new">Free Molten Magic with OS7 Icons</a> by InProgress™ (South Africa)</p>
<p><a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/104064" target="_new">Hank Aaron Brave in Every Way</a> by Scrollmotion, Inc (United States)</p>
<p><a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/104174" target="_new">LiquidCosts</a> by Bwize ZA (Ireland)</p>
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			<media:title type="html">Alex K.</media:title>
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		<title>Something&#8217;s happening, something wonderful</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/developer-momentum/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/04/developer-momentum/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 19:44:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alec Saunders</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlackBerry 10 Jam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry app world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tools]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=8883</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Announcing a special incentive to our BlackBerry developer community, in recognition of their hard work and innovation.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=8883&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/devcon-asia-photo.jpg?w=550&#038;h=364" alt="" title="" width="550" height="364" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8889" /></p>
<p>Do you remember the liftoff sequence in the movie Apollo 13?  How the Saturn V engines lit up, the incredible rumble as the rocket, slowly at first, and then faster and faster, propelled the astronauts into space?  The anticipation, and the excitement?</p>
<p>I feel like that right now.  The momentum we’ve seen for the BlackBerry® platform in the last few months has been phenomenal.  In the last quarter, the BlackBerry App World™ storefront has seen:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>21% increase</strong> in BlackBerry smartphone apps</li>
<li><strong>89% increase</strong> in BBM™ connected apps</li>
<li><strong>240% increase</strong> in BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet apps submitted to BlackBerry App World</li>
</ul>
<p>We’re going to keep driving that momentum and building that excitement – it’s a rush and we don’t want it to go away. We’ve decided that from now until May 1, 2012, there will be some extra incentive to our community to keep up the development. Starting April 10, 12:01 am, every 100th new app submitted to BlackBerry App World is eligible for a prize package that will bring you to <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/03/blackberry10jam_tools/" target="_new">BlackBerry® 10 Jam</a> in Orlando, Florida from May 1-3. (Click <a href="http://us.blackberry.com//developers/started/100appcontest.jsp">here</a> for legal terms and conditions)</p>
<p>The prize package includes $500 USD cash, a voucher for an airline ticket (up to $1,500 USD in North America and $2,500 USD outside of North America), a pass to BlackBerry 10 Jam on May 1-3 and four nights at a hotel. Winners will be notified via the primary email on BlackBerry App World vendor account and we will keep the community informed here at the <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com" target="_new">Inside BlackBerry Developer&#8217;s Blog</a>.</p>
<p><span id="more-8883"></span></p>
<p>Now, back to bragging about that momentum! Last quarter was the single biggest quarter for developers in RIM’s history.</p>
<p>Looking at developer stats, we had a 68% increase in the number of registered vendors in BlackBerry App World.  There are over 35,000 registered or pending approval vendors in BlackBerry App World – with over 70,000 apps up for sale to more than 77 million BlackBerry subscribers and over 1 million BlackBerry PlayBook tablet users around the world.  And the best part?  Over 20,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablet applications have now been submitted to BlackBerry App World.</p>
<p>Last quarter we also released porting guides to allow <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/01/open-source-playbook-development/" target="_new">WebOS</a> and <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/02/jquery-app-html5-webworks/" target="_new">jQuery</a> apps to be ported to the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and announced a port of Qt to allow Nokia developers to target BlackBerry PlayBook tablets and soon, BlackBerry 10.</p>
<p>We’re talking developers and sharing their BlackBerry success stories, as well.  Since its launch 10 weeks ago, the <a href="https://bdsc.webapps.blackberry.com/devzone/whyblackberry/stories/" target="_new">BlackBerry Developer Success Story</a> page has added more than 20 stories with more to come soon.</p>
<p>But most of all, we continue to have a clear and solid commitment from the team here at BlackBerry to you, our developer community.   This commitment combines tools focused on usability and ease of development; increased involvement and contribution to open source; reinvigorated community event involvement over the last six months; as well as the unprecedented seeding of a non-commercial testing device – the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha device – at <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/03/blackberry10jam_tools/" target="_new">BlackBerry 10 Jam</a> in Orlando this May.</p>
<p>I personally invite you to come be part of the future of BlackBerry by joining us in Orlando for BlackBerry 10 Jam – there’s never been a better time to build for BlackBerry and we want to show you the future of our platform first-hand.</p>
<p>See you in Orlando!</p>
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		<title>Second Gear Games benefit from Android and Java on the BlackBerry platform</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/02/dev-success-second-gear-games/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2012/02/dev-success-second-gear-games/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:28:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Kinsella</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Game Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[android]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BlackBerry Runtime for Android Apps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eclipse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[games]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[java]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plug-in]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Second Gear Games]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=8386</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Check out an interview with Sergei from Second Gear Games about developing for the BlackBerry platform.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=8386&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When the founders of Second Gear Games, Sergei Lapin and Melanie Dompierre, began developing mobile apps in 2009, they consciously decided to work with multiple platforms, in particular BlackBerry® and Android™. While a handful of Second Gear’s games began as BlackBerry apps, most were built for Android first. Regardless, applications needed to be transferable to each platform and the games coding process needed to be as efficient as possible. Sergei’s solution was to develop apps with a touch screen-only version first, and then add support for keyboard and trackball/trackpad afterward. Still, seamless integration was not always easy and in many cases it took significant time and effort.</p>
<p>This, however, all changed with the addition of BlackBerry® Runtime for Android apps on the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ OS 2.0. The process of porting Android apps has now become a few simple clicks.</p>
<p>Sergei talked to us about BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps, the benefit of working with the BlackBerry® Java® Plug-in for Eclipse™, and why it has always been important for Second Gear Games to run apps on BlackBerry devices.</p>
<p><span id="more-8386"></span></p>
<p><strong>How has the BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps made it easier for you to run Android apps on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?</strong></p>
<p>In the past, when we would build an Android app and then port it to the BlackBerry OS, the porting process would take us anywhere from a week to a month depending on the complexity of the game. Despite the fact that the app&#8217;s code remained in Java, there were still a number of differences between the platforms and functionalities that needed to be translated from one operating system to the other.</p>
<p>With BlackBerry Runtime for Android, porting apps is effortless and there is nothing we need to change in the coding of our games to make it run on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet. The games compile, upload, and scale themselves to the tablet in absolutely no time at all. It’s amazing what a difference it makes: it took us less than an hour to put the Android version of Shopper&#8217;s Paradise HD on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet.</p>
<p>There is no noticeable performance penalty when running an Android app on the device and all we really needed to get started was a BlackBerry App World™ vendor account and a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet running the latest BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 beta.</p>
<p><strong>How useful is the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse?</strong></p>
<p>It’s a huge benefit to be able to use the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse. It allows developers to use the same integrated development environment (IDE) and maintain one project on two platforms. Software isn’t perfect, minor bugs will need to be fixed regardless of how much you test it. If you’ve split your code into multiple copies to support multiple platforms, then you have to go and edit all those copies, apply the changes, and fix the bugs. But one major benefit of the common code base is that you can change only one set of files and then build for multiple targets, which is a huge timesaver.</p>
<p><strong>Why is it important for you to run games on the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet?</strong></p>
<p>There are a couple main reasons. First of all, the uptake of paid apps has always been really good on BlackBerry devices. When we began developing in 2009 on the respective Android and BlackBerry platforms, our BlackBerry games were generating more revenue than our Android games, even though the Android market wasn’t as crowded back then. Now, Android is so over-populated and there is so much free content available that selling apps is even more of a challenge.</p>
<p>With BlackBerry it’s always been easier – we have a very receptive customer base that we communicate with on a regular basis, exchanging ideas and responding to any technical issues that customers might have. This relationship makes it even more enjoyable to build and publish on the BlackBerry platform.</p>
<p>I’m also really impressed by the device itself. I’ve tested a lot of different tablets, and to be honest, I like the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet more than any of them. It’s a really pleasant device, from its responsiveness to its user interface to its screen size – quite frankly, I like everything about it.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks very much for your time today, Sergei!</strong></p>
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			<media:title type="html">Alex K.</media:title>
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		<title>Viet Hop Co., Ltd. demonstrates just how fast it can be to prototype and launch BlackBerry apps</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/12/developer-success-viet-hop/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/12/developer-success-viet-hop/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:57:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luke Reimer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bbm 6]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry app world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Caro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Viet Hop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vietnam]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=8126</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Read about the successes of Viet Hop Co., Ltd. and their experiences developing with the BlackBerry platform.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=8126&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-8130" title="" src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/bbmcaro_featured_image.jpg?w=600&#038;h=371" alt="" width="600" height="371" /></p>
<p>For Tang Thien Hai, founder of Viet Hop Co., Ltd. and community manager of the BlackBerry® developer forums in Vietnam, the hardest part of developing an application is coming up with an idea. Ironically, his most successful idea came when he least expected it. Caro, a Tic-Tac-Toe type game, was developed by Tang to demonstrate to the growing Vietnamese BlackBerry developer community just how fast and easy it can be to build integrated BlackBerry apps. Developed in only one week, Caro has achieved great success, garnering more than two million downloads in less than three months and 60,000 daily users.</p>
<p>Tang sat down with RIM to discuss the advantages of developing for BlackBerry® smartphones, the importance of integrating apps with BBM™ 6, and working with an engaged Vietnamese developer community and users.</p>
<p><strong>When did you start developing for BlackBerry smartphones?</strong><br />
I owned a BlackBerry® 8700 series smartphone a few years ago and there weren’t any applications available that supported trackwheel devices, so I decided to start developing some for myself. I had previous experience developing with the Java® platform, which made it really easy to start creating apps for BlackBerry platform since it was Java based as well. I developed my first consumer-facing application for travelers and I now have a number of different apps, including my Tic-Tac-Toe app, Caro.</p>
<p><span id="more-8126"></span></p>
<p><strong>Caro has been a very successful application. How easy was it to develop?</strong><br />
The truth is I developed Caro to show the BlackBerry developer community that I manage in Vietnam how BBM 6 works and how it can benefit their applications. I completed the first version of the game in one week but realized only once it was done that I had something people might want. I submitted the app and had it released on BlackBerry App World™ storefront. Within weeks there were over a million downloads.</p>
<p><strong>Why do you think it became popular so quickly?</strong><br />
I believe it’s popular because of how integrated it is with social features, especially BBM 6. BBM is reliable and accommodates hundreds of thousands of players at any given moment. The user can easily see their scores and their opponents’ scores while playing. Users can also access their contacts to send invitations and find out who’s currently available to play. This enables users to share the application quickly and easily and challenge people to play. Every time a player plays the game, their points accumulate on their record making it very competitive for some. They can view their standings online through a ranking system I created on my website. People also share their ranking on Caro’s Twitter® and Facebook® pages. All of this along with the simplicity of the game has made it extremely addictive.</p>
<p><strong>What advice do you pass on to the BlackBerry developer forums that you manage in Vietnam?</strong><br />
Developing for the BlackBerry platform is not only fast and simple because of my previous Java experience; it is practically free of any significant costs, besides your own time of course. Research In Motion Limited (RIM®) provides such a wide variety of free sample code for the developer to use, it’s hard not to find what you need. Once you have an idea, you simply take the sample code, understand it, modify it, and within two or three days you can develop an app. The other advantage is that the BlackBerry developer community has been very helpful in providing feedback on each other’s apps. They are always eager to help you fine- tune your app, or find ways to get your app out to the masses. The community has been extremely beneficial for everyone regardless if you are a new or experienced BlackBerry developer.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Tang!</strong></p>
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			<media:title type="html">lukereim1</media:title>
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		<title>Spice Labs Utilizes Push, Super Apps Functionality for Development Success</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/10/developer-success-spice-labs/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/10/developer-success-spice-labs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:54:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luke Reimer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[app world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hangman]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[push]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spice labs]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=7739</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Read about Spice Labs's success in developing for the BlackBerry platform.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=7739&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/hangman1.jpg?w=400&#038;h=399" alt="Hangman by Spice Labs" title="Hangman by Spice Labs" width="400" height="399" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7741" /></p>
<p>Mobile applications fall into many categories, but games have always been amongst the most popular. <a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/2004?lang=en" target="_new">Spice Labs</a> has had success developing easy-to-use gaming apps that please app-savvy users ranging from young kids to corporate executives with favorites like Snake and Hangman. Spice Labs is based in India and develops consumer and enterprise applications for a global audience.</p>
<p>Prashant Singh tells us why the developers at Spice Labs like working with the BlackBerry® platform.</p>
<p><strong>How important has it been for Spice Labs to work closely with Research In Motion® (RIM®)?</strong><br />
It’s been a really important part of our growth. In just one year, we’ve become elite members of the BlackBerry Alliance Program. We have access to the newest technology to test the games and we can actually contact the people who are developing the technology. I can pick up the phone or email and get a quick response, and that kind of access is really hard to beat. The RIM team has given us a lot of advice, and we’re working on a lot of initiatives with them. We see it as a mutually beneficial partnership.</p>
<p><strong>How has Push technology been useful to you?</strong><br />
We love the tight integration between the framework and the user experience. We use Push in a number of our apps, including Hangman, where we send a daily word pack to users every day. Thanks to the precise targeting of Push, we’ve been able to really customize our content packs and increase user engagement. We believe they return to our apps because Push allows us to target them with fresh content that makes the game more relevant. </p>
<p><span id="more-7739"></span></p>
<p><strong>From the developer side, what are some other important features of the BlackBerry platform?</strong><br />
There really wasn’t much of a learning curve in terms of understanding and mastering the development side. The BlackBerry platform wasn’t constrained in terms of processing power, connectivity or memory. We use Java® for our BlackBerry apps and Adobe® Flash® for our BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet app, and they’re both very straightforward. The toolsets are easy to use, and there are a lot of people who already have a lot of expertise with them. </p>
<p><strong>You mentioned the importance of integration – what are your thoughts on BlackBerry Super Apps?</strong><br />
Super Apps are a much needed and exciting initiative that enables a lot of device integration, integration with BBM™, and more. We believe that they are the logical next stage in the evolution of mobile apps, and it’s encouraging that RIM offers this functionality.  We have a detailed plan to integrate Super App functionality into our portfolio of apps. We are very satisfied with RIM’s initiative in enabling a vibrant developer ecosystem.</p>
<p><strong>Why is it important for Spice Labs to develop for the BlackBerry market?</strong><br />
As developers, we want our software to reach the maximum number of users, so developing for the BlackBerry platform was really a no-brainer for us. Plus, the BlackBerry platform has a huge base of very savvy users that we wanted to target with our applications.  It’s been a very important platform market for us, and our return on investment is higher on the BlackBerry platform than any other.</p>
<p><strong>How have you benefited from distributing your apps on the BlackBerry App World™ storefront?</strong><br />
BlackBerry App World offers a highly targeted distribution platform for mobile app developers. You can choose your niche and target your app with a high degree of specificity, which helps us reach out to our users. We have integration in place with the BlackBerry® Messenger SDK, and we’ve done well with the BlackBerry® Advertising Service. It’s beneficial because advertisers are willing to pay top dollar to reach RIM’s users, as they are a desireable demographic for advertisers. Since most of our apps are free, a key parameter for us is also the download count, which directly impacts our advertising revenue.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks for this interview, Prashant! Readers, be sure to check out <a href="http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/vendor/2004?lang=en" target="_new">Spice Lab</a>’s offerings in BlackBerry App World.</strong></p>
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			<media:title type="html">lukereim1</media:title>
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			<media:title type="html">Hangman by Spice Labs</media:title>
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		<title>Nitobi Helps Close the Gap with the PhoneGap Tool</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/10/developer-success-story-nitobi/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/10/developer-success-story-nitobi/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:39:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luke Reimer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dev Con]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blackberry webworks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nitobi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[PhoneGap]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=7220</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Find out more about Nitobi's experience with BlackBerry WebWorks and creating PhoneGap.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=7220&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/devconamericas_banner_468x60.jpg?w=468&#038;h=60" alt="BlackBerry DevCon Americas Speaker" title="BlackBerry DevCon Americas Speaker" width="468" height="60" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7060" /></p>
<p><strong>COM12 &#8211; PhoneGap and BlackBerry WebWorks SDK: Two Allies that helped Simplify Development of Nursing App </strong><br />
<i>Find out what it takes to successfully build and deploy a BlackBerry® app with the BlackBerry® WebWorks™ Platform and the PhoneGap open source development framework.</i></p>
<p><i>Michael Brooks, Software Barista with Nitobi Software Inc.</i></P></p>
<p><a href="http://www.blackberrydevcon.com/americas/registration" target="_new">Register for BlackBerry DevCon Americas now!</a></p>
<hr />
<p>For the past decade, <a href="http://www.nitobi.com/" target="_new">Nitobi</a>’s developers have made it clear that they’re not only interested in developing excellent mobile and web applications, but also in changing the way rich internet applications are built.  Nitobi created the popular <a href="http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/08/blackberry-playbook-phonegap/">PhoneGap</a>, an open source development tool used to build cross-platform applications that are designed to take advantage of core features of BlackBerry® SDKs. On top of application design and development, the Vancouver, Canada-based company offers its clients consulting services, training, and on-going technical support.</p>
<p>Nitobi CEO Andre Charland and software developer Michael Brooks tell us about the PhoneGap project, the importance of working with the Research In Motion Limited (RIM®) development team and how the BlackBerry WebWorks platform has embraced where the future of development is heading.</p>
<p><strong>Tell us about the functionality of the PhoneGap tool.<br />
Andre:</strong> PhoneGap acts as a bridge between web applications and mobile devices, and is similar to BlackBerry WebWorks in that it allows users to create native applications using web applications. The difference is that PhoneGap can be used across all platforms. It leverages HTML and JavaScript® and fits our web mentality of creating a unique user experience by creating applications that can function on any device.</p>
<p><strong>What sort of similarities do you see between BlackBerry WebWorks and the PhoneGap development tools?<br />
Michael:</strong> We think that with BlackBerry WebWorks, RIM is really embracing what the future is. While we constantly have to add PhoneGap support for the other platforms, BlackBerry WebWorks is directly aligned with the PhoneGap mentality. With BlackBerry WebWorks, you develop using web technology like HTML, CSS3, and JavaScript, and it allows you to access tools that invoke the native functionality of the BlackBerry® smartphone. iOS and Android™ both have their own languages, and it makes it a lot more difficult to make JavaScript reach into the native side to invoke functionality and return the responses. BlackBerry WebWorks is really paying off and will continue to do so with the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet and BlackBerry® 7.</p>
<p><strong>How involved has RIM been throughout the PhoneGap project?<br />
Andre:</strong> RIM has been quite involved with PhoneGap. The RIM development team recently signed a contributor agreement to the project and provided most of the PhoneGap tools for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, which we’re working to get into the PhoneGap repository for BlackBerry. In terms of tools, the Ripple Emulator by RIM is specifically for HTML5 mobile app testing, and it was one of the earliest tools to have PhoneGap’s work built into it.</p>
<p><strong>What level of support have you received from the RIM development team?<br />
Andre:</strong> We’ve had great support from all the team members at RIM. We keep in contact with a lot of them through <a href="http://twitter.com/BlackBerryDev" target="_new">Twitter®</a> and email. If we’re having issues or if a PhoneGap user on the BlackBerry side has a question, we CC the RIM team and the support rolls out really quickly. RIM also has a seeding program for future BlackBerry smartphones that is hugely beneficial, since it allows us to test all of the devices and operating systems before they come to market. We don’t have that kind of relationship with any other vendor or manufacturer out there. Nitobi has also filled out a contributor agreement for the BlackBerry repository.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks for this interview, Andre and Michael!  Developer community – do you have any feedback on Nitobi’s BlackBerry development tools?  Let us know in the comments.</strong></p>
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			<media:title type="html">BlackBerry DevCon Americas Speaker</media:title>
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		<title>Eclipse and Super Apps are Key for ekkes-corner</title>
		<link>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/10/developer-success-story-ekkes-corner/</link>
		<comments>http://devblog.blackberry.com/2011/10/developer-success-story-ekkes-corner/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:59:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Luke Reimer</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Case Studies & Success Stories]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dev Con]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[DevCon 2011]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[developer success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eclipse]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ekkes-corner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[logging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[push]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[super apps]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://devblog.blackberry.com/?p=7213</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Read about some of the BlackBerry app development successes of Ekkehard (Ekke) Gentz of ekkes-corner.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=devblog.blackberry.com&#038;blog=17235680&#038;post=7213&#038;subd=rimdevblog&#038;ref=&#038;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://rimdevblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/devconamericas_banner_468x60.jpg?w=468&#038;h=60" alt="BlackBerry DevCon Americas Speaker" title="BlackBerry DevCon Americas Speaker" width="468" height="60" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7060" /></p>
<p><strong>COM26 &#8211; Logging: The Easy, Flexible Way</strong><br />
<i>Logging is a powerful instrument to find bugs and understand why an application is under-performing or why something went wrong.</i></p>
<p><i>Ekkehard Gentz, Software Architect with ekkes-corner</i></p>
<p><a href="http://www.blackberrydevcon.com/americas/registration" target="_new">Register for BlackBerry DevCon Americas now!</a></p>
<hr />
<p>In an industry full of young up-and-comers, <a href="http://ekkescorner.wordpress.com/" target="_new">Ekkehard (Ekke) Gentz</a> stands out for his 30 years of experience and insight in the rapidly changing world of mobile development. In 2010, Ekke realized that he could meet many of his customer’s needs with mobile business applications for BlackBerry® smartphones as part of his enterprise business applications. Using Java® and BlackBerry® 6, Ekke develops client software and server software for small -and medium-sized companies. Ekke is also very involved in the Eclipse community.</p>
<p>Ekke talked to us about why the BlackBerry solution is right for his customers, how BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry® 7 have led to the design of powerful apps, and how “Super Apps” are a key differentiator.</p>
<p><strong>Why do you recommend the BlackBerry solution to so many of your customers?</strong><br />
I always go as deep as possible into frameworks, platforms, and technologies to find the best mobile solution for my customers, and I’ve found that there are a number of customer requirements that I can only solve using the BlackBerry solution. The combination of integrated native solutions like the BlackBerry Push service, the BlackBerry® Enterprise Server, and GPS functionality have been hugely important to some of my customers.  I’m astonished how many times I discover that a customer’s special requirements can only be solved using the BlackBerry solution.</p>
<p><strong>Why do you like working with BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry 7?</strong><br />
Whenever I speak to Java developers or Eclipse developers, I explain to them that with the BlackBerry OS it’s easy to use your experience to develop really great-looking applications with all of the unique features of BlackBerry smartphones. The Research In Motion® (RIM®) team added more APIs and extended Java Specification Requests (JSRs) to make it easier for Java developers, and the BlackBerry 6 applications are oftentimes much more engaging than similar iOS applications because of its deep integration with the native app. Also, the command framework for Super Apps is designed to be straightforward. It’s a great way to work with applications communicating with each other, and it’s very powerful.</p>
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<p><strong>Do you have a specific example of using Super Apps to help optimize business processes?</strong><br />
One example is the location-based services and GPS tracker. SQLite is a database for mobile devices that is designed to allow access from one application at a time. To solve the issue of both apps needing to access the SQLite database at the same time, the background app registers its services as remote commands using the BlackBerry Command Framework API. The foreground apps then use these commands to communicate with the background apps. This works really well and isn’t something that I could do easily with Windows Phone 7, iOS or Android™.</p>
<p><strong>How important is the BlackBerry Java Plug-in for Eclipse?</strong><br />
Using BlackBerry 6 and BlackBerry 7 with the BlackBerry® Java® Plug-in for Eclipse® definitely makes it easier to work with Eclipse, especially for users who are not as familiar with it. I work with it daily and it was the reason why I developed an Eclipse-based OSGi server with Eclipse Jetty.  I integrated OsGi services that were using the BlackBerry Push SDK, which made it possible to install both the mobile software and server software &#8212; including all of the Push services &#8212; in one Eclipse installation. This was much simpler than having to install the normal BlackBerry Push SDK with the J2EE Stack and Spring framework. </p>
<p><strong>How does your logging framework function?</strong><br />
I try to avoid using debuggers unless there are serious problems, because they don’t give you the real behavior of an application. I didn’t want to use a debugger or an event log. In the past I had used an open source logging monitor that was easy to use with applications and allowed me to search for and see debugger warnings.  For BlackBerry smartphones, my logging works in the background; it’s a library, and it’s designed to be easy to implement. If I have a foreground application and a background application and my server application pushing content through the BlackBerry smartphone, I can go into this logging monitor and see side-by-side what happens in both apps on the server side.</p>
<p><strong>Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Ekke!  Readers, please take the time to check out <a href="http://ekkescorner.wordpress.com/" target="_new">Ekke’s website</a> and all the cool projects he’s currently working on.</strong></p>
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