Mobile DevGuide 13 - Gulde For Mobile Developer

1
3
t
h
e
d
i
t
i
o
n

Dont Panic
MOBILE DEVELOPERS
GUIDE TO THE GALAXY
Enough Software GmbH + Co. KG
Stavendamm 22
28195 Bremen
Germany
www.enough.de
Please send your feedback,
questions or sponsorship requests to:
[email protected]
Follow us on Twitter: @enoughsoftware
Services and Tools for All Mobile Platforms
published by:
13th Edition September 2013
This Developer Guide is licensed under the
Creative Commons Some Rights Reserved License.
Editors:
Marco Tabor (Enough Software) & Julian Harty
Art Direction and Design by
Andrej Balaz (Enough Software)
Supported by
Koop fr Gestaltung (koop-bremen.de)

Mobile Developers Guide
Contents
I Prologue
1 The Galaxy of Mobile: An Introduction
13 Conceptional Design for Mobile
21 Android
36 BlackBerry Java Apps
43 BlackBerry 10
55 Firefox OS
61 iOS
71 Java ME (J2ME)
83 Windows Phone
95 Windows 8
105 Going Cross-Platform
121 Web Technologies
133 Accessibility
143 Enterprise Apps: Strategy And Development
153 Mobile Analytics
161 Implementing Rich Media
167 Implementing Location-Based Services
175 Near Field Communication (NFC)
182 Implementing Haptic Vibration
190 Implementing Augmented Reality
200 Application Security
211 Testing Your Application
227 Monetization
244 About the Authors
I
Prologue Prologue
Prologue
Wow! This really is the 13th edition already. Time to send out
a big THANK YOU to all the people who have supported the
project since it started in 2009. Of course this includes all
the writers, but also many readers who sent us their feedback,
conference and barcamp organizers who distributed the books
at their events, and of course the printing sponsors: this time
SAP and PayPal. You are all awesome; we are looking forward to
the next 13 editions.
As usual, the whole content has been reviewed and updated
where necessary for this release and we have even included a
completely new chapter about Firefox OS!
Apart from Firefox OS some exciting things happened since
our last guide: Apple jumped on the fat design bandwagon
and announced a completely redesigned iOS7 (who would have
thought 10 years ago that Microsoft could be a trendsetter
in design?!). Android fnally acknowledged its fragmentation
problem and released improvements that can be used on older
OS versions as well. Google Glass wowed the world and made
privacy advocates angry at the same time.
But there were failures as well. BlackBerry and Windows
Phone remain the problem children of the mobile world when
it comes to market share, and Facebooks Home initiative has
received mixed feedback, wallowing at 2.5 stars on Google Play
in August 2013.
And then there was Edward Snowden.
Various agencies with the US American NSA and the British
GCHQ seem to be at the forefront of eavesdropping on our com-
munications. And the Internet giants like Google, Facebook,
Apple and Microsoft seem to be helping more than they are
legally obliged to. This undermines our privacy, our freedom,
II
Prologue
our trust in communication and politics. Of course big words
like terrorism are used to justify these programs, but do we
really want to live in such an Orwellian world?
Back to technology: the mobile world receives new input
from outside. Trends like quantify yourself
1
and wearable
computing
2
continue to innovate mobile services with low
energy Bluetooth as the current preferred connection glue
between phones and embedded hardware. Tinkerers can easily
invent new solutions based on Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Netduino
and the like. And Smartwatches like Pebble, Im Watch, or
Agent show people really like these concepts.
So: the future remains exciting, please share your excite-
ment with us either via twitter @enoughsoftware or via email:
[email protected]
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
Robert + Marco / Enough Software
Bremen, September 2013
1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantifed_Self
2 interaction-design.org/encyclopedia/wearable_computing.html
1
The Galaxy of Mobile: An Introduction
B
Y

R
o
b
e
r
t

V
i
r
k
u
s

&

M
a
r
c
o

T
a
b
o
r
The Galaxy of Mobile:
An Introduction
Welcome to the world of mobile development, a world where
former giants stumble and new stars are born on a seemingly
regular basis.
The focus of this book is on developing mobile apps, which
includes a number of phases including: planning & specifca-
tion, prototyping & design, implementation, internal testing &
deployment, deployment to an app store, discovery by users,
installation, use and feedback. Ultimately, we want our users
to enjoy using our apps and to give us positive ratings to
encourage other users to do likewise.
Keep reading to learn how to develop apps for the major
platforms. Should this be the frst time that you have con-
sidered getting involved, we advise against further delay as
the world is moving speedily towards mobile becoming the
predominant form of computing and others will surely bypass
you if you wait too long.
While developing mobile apps has some commonalities with
developing other software it has specifc characteristics. We will
cover some of these next.
Topology: Form Factors
and Usage Patterns
You have to differentiate between smart phones, tablets and
feature phones. Each form factor poses its own usability chal-
lenges; for instance, a tablet demands different navigation than
a phone. TV systems are getting more traction as another form
factor for mobile developers.
2
The Galaxy of Mobile: An Introduction The Galaxy of Mobile: An Introduction
Android usage patterns, of course, differ from those on iOS,
which also differ from those for Windows Phone apps, et cetera.
You should, therefore, refrain from providing the identi-
cal experience on all form factors or even all your target
smartphone systems. Otherwise, you risk delivering a mediocre
service to some sections of your target user base.
Star Formation: Creating a Mobile Service
There are several ways to realize a mobile service:

App

Website

SMS, USSD
1
and STK
2

App
Apps run directly on the device. You can realize them as native,
web-based or hybrid apps.
Native Apps
A native app is programmed in a platform specifc language
with platform specifc APIs. It is typically purchased, down-
loaded and upgraded through the platform specifc central app
store. Native apps usually offer the best performance, the deep-
est integration and the best overall user experience compared
to other options. However, native development is often also the
most complex development option.
1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USSD
2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SIM_Application_Toolkit
3
Web Apps
A web app is based on HTML5, JavaScript and CSS and does
not rely on any app store. It is a locally stored mobile site that
tries to emulate the look-and-feel of an app.
A famous example for a web app is the Financial Times app
which left the app store in order to keep all subscriber revenue
to themselves for the web world; inversely, the web-based
Facebook iOS app was revamped into native app in order to
dramatically improve its performance and usability. There are
several web app frameworks available to build a native wrapper
around it so that you can publish them in app stores, e.g.
Phonegap
3
.
Hybrid Apps
A hyped controversy circles around whether native or web apps
are the future.
For many mobile app developers, this controversy does not
really exist any longer as a hybrid approach to app development
has become quite common place: An app can use native code
for enhanced performance and integration of the app with the
platform while using a webview together with HTML5-based
content for other parts of the same app. A hybrid app makes
use of native and web technologies. Parts of it behave as a
native app, while other parts are powered by web technologies.
These parts can use Internet connectivity to offer up-to-date
content. While this could be viewed as a drawback, the use
of web technologies enables developers to display up-to-date
content without the need to re-submit the application to app
stores. The key challenge is to combine the unique capabilities
of native and web technologies to create a truly user-friendly
and attractive app.
3 www.phonegap.com
4
Website
A website runs for the most part on your server but you can
access various phone features on the device with JavaScript,
e.g. to store data locally or to request the current location of
the device. In contrast to apps, mobile websites are inherently
cross-platform. However you should not assume that a mobile
browser is always based on WebKit, compare Microsofts plea to
mobile web developers not to make their websites run only on
WebKit
4
.
SMS, USSD and STK
Simple services can be realized with SMS, USSD or STK. Every-
one knows how SMS (Short Message Service) text messaging
works and every phone supports SMS, but you need to convince
your users to remember textual commands for more complex
services. Some operators offer APIs for messaging services
that work for WiFi-only devices, such as the network APIs of
Deutsche Telekom
5
. USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service
Data) is a GSM protocol used for pushing simple text based
menus, the capabilities depend on the carrier and the device.
STK (SIM Application Toolkit) allows to implement low-level but
interactive apps directly on the SIM card of a phone.
STK may appear irrelevant when we focus on smartphone
apps, however m-pesa, for example, is an STK app which is
transforming life and fnancial transactions in Kenya and other
countries.
6
4 blogs.windows.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev/archive/2012/11/15/adapting-
your-webkit-optimized-site-for-internet-explorer-10.aspx
5 www.developergarden.com/apis www.developergarden.com/apis
www.developergarden.com/apis
6 memeburn.com/2012/03/how-m-pesa-disrupts-entire-economies/
5
The Universe of
Mobile Operating Systems
The mobile space is much more diverse than other areas in IT.
When you are developing software for stationary computers,
you basically have 3 operating systems to chose from. When it
comes to mobile, there are many more. This book will give you
an introduction to the ones that are currently the most relevant
but be aware that the mobile space changes continuously and
at a speed that you will seldom observe in other businesses. We
have seen many promising technologies appear and disappear
again within a short time, no matter how big the companies
behind them or their former market relevance might have been.
So read on, learn how the market looks today and keep
observing it on your own (or make sure you have the latest
edition of our guide at hand).
Quasars: Android and iOS
When people talk about mobile apps, they mostly are only
referring to Android and iOS. Why? When it comes to market
share, these two platforms combined dominate the smartphone
market with easily 90% in key markets, particularly, the US
7

(see the table below for global numbers). The Developer
Economics 2013 research
8
also shows that iOS and Android are
at the top in terms of developer mindsharei.e. the percent-
age of developers using each platform, irrespective of which
platform they consider to be their primary. Android was at the
top, with 71% (2012: 76%) of developers currently working on
the platform, followed by iOS with 56% (2012: 66%).
7 kantarworldpanel.com/Global/News/Apple-rebounds-as-iPhone-4-pulls-in-
smartphone-frst-timers-
8 DeveloperEconomics.com
6
Another 2012 research report, by Appcelerator and IDC
9

agrees that developers are mainly interested in Android and
iOS, although the fgures are reversed. This study indicated that
nearly 90% of respondents were interested in iOS, with Android
somewhat lower, at 80%. Despite their differences, both these
reports point to one fact: if you are going to use Android or
iOS, you will have lots of competition.
Dark Matter: Feature Phone Platforms
While smartphones get all the news most parts of the world be-
long to the feature phone universe. Globally 50% of all phones
sold in Q1 2013 have been feature phones
10
, with an install
base much higher than that. Biggest vendors are Samsung and
Nokia. Nokia claims to have quite a lot of success with their
Nokia Store as there are more than 500 developers who have
had more than 1 million app downloads of their app
11
. Research
from 2011 showed that the unhyped platforms actually provided
a better chance for developers: Feature phone apps on Nokias
OVI store had 2.5 times higher download numbers compared to
apps on Apple App Store
12
.
While you can develop native apps for feature phones when
you have close relations with the vendor, you typically develop
apps using JavaME or BREW for these phones.
9 www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS23619612
10 businesswire.com/news/home/20130425006953/en/Smartphones-Shipped-
Q1-2013-Feature-Phones-Industry
11 developer.nokia.com/Distribute/Statistics.xhtml
12 www.research2guidance.com/apps-on-nokias-ovi-store-had-2.5-times-higher-
download-numbers-in-q2-2011-compared-to-apps-on-apple-app-store/
7
Super Novas: Firefox OS, Windows 8, Windows Phone,
BlackBerry 10 and Aliyun
Will these platforms become spectacular success stories or
doomed chapters of the mobile industry? Nobody knows for sure
but there are mixed messages open for interpretation.
Firefox OS received a lot of love by reviewers and developers
alike. It now has been launched in Spain and in Poland but
market fgures are unknown so far. Firefox OS will also make it
to tablets.
While Windows 8 overturned all OS X installations easily, its
relative adoption is slower than Windows 7. This might be due
to the continuous decline of the PC market, which globally fell
around 10% in Q2 2013
13
. Windows RT was a fop with Surface
RT revenue less than the advertisement cost
14
. Now Windows
8.1 with its 5000 new APIs could turn the tide.
Windows Phone adoption continues to increase, albeit on
a small scale. In the top EU5 countries it now hovers around
6.9%, in the US at 4% according to the Kantar World Panel
15
.
Most market share gains have been due to the lowcost models
such as the Lumia 520.
BlackBerry 10 reception varied between skepticism and
enthusiasmbut even though all relevant operators carry
BlackBerry 10 devices, the adoption has been slow leading to
a possible sale of BlackBerry
16
. The US is perhaps symptomatic,
where market share has declined to 1.1% according to the Kantar
13 theverge.com/2013/7/10/4512242/pc-shipments-longest-consecutive-
decline-chromebooks-shine
14 theverge.com/2013/7/30/4572732/microsoft-surface-revenue-less-than-
write-down-advertising-costs
smartphone-frst-timers
16 press.blackberry.com/press/2013/blackberry-board-of-directors-announces-
exploration-of-strategic.html
8
World Panel
17
. The good news is that developer mindshare
seems to remain the same as for the previous, incompatible
BB platforms according to the Developer Economics Report
2013
18
.
Aliyun has been released on a single device in China with an
unknown market share. It draw publicity mostly from the fact
that Google pressured Acer into not releasing an Aliyun device
based on Acers membership of the Open Handset Alliance
and on the fact that Aliyuns app store featured some pirated
Google Android apps
19
. While Aliyun is claimed to be based on
Linux, the source code has not yet been released.
White Dwarfs: Symbian and bada
Only shadows of their former selves are Symbian and Samsung
bada. While bada was very shortlived, Samsung announced it
will live on within the forthcoming Tizen platformthough
they did not specify in which specifc form this will happen.
Symbian has been pushed into maintenance modeand left
the world with a (photographic) bang in form of the PureView
808; the importance and market share continue to fall sharply
worldwide.
Newborn Stars: Mer, Sailfsh, Tizen, Ubuntu
We will see some interesting new entries in late 2013.
The Mer project
20
continues the MeeGo platform and
provides the basis for Jollas
21
Sailfsh OS. Jollas initial set of
preview devices quickly sold out.
18 developereconomics.com/reports/q3-2013
19 news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57513651-94/alibaba-google-just-plain-wrong-
about-our-os
20 merproject.org
21 jolla.com
9
Tizen
22
devices are expected to be released Q4 2013 by
Samsung and Lenovo. Seemingly only gently but continuously
pushed forward by Samsung and Intel, Tizen aims to power not
only smartphones but also TVs, tablets, netbooks and in-vehicle
infotainment systems. With its 2.2 platform release and a
developer challenge Tizen tries to gain some traction.
Last but not least Canonical presented Ubuntu
23
for mobile
devices. The idea is to bring the full power of a PC to the
phone. The crowdsourcing
24
effort to fund the Ubuntu Edge
phone did not fare well, but the concept to unite PC and
smartphones seems solid.
Hard Numbers: Smartphone OS Market Shares
When you look at the global smartphone market shares, the
picture might look simple:
Platform
Market Share Q3
2013
Year-over-Year
Change
Android (Google) 79.3% +73.5%
iOS (Apple) 13.2% -20.0%
Windows Phone
(Microsoft)
3.7% +77.6%
BlackBerry 2.9% -11.7%
Symbian (Nokia) 0.2% -92.3%
(Source: idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24257413)
22 tizen.org
23 ubuntu.com/devices/phone
24 indiegogo.com/projects/ubuntu-edge
10
You may agree with the majority of developers that decide
spending time on platforms other than iOS and Android would
be a waste of time. Be assured: It is not that simple. Smart-
phone owners are still a minority. More people own feature
phones and in many regions of the world, people still choose a
feature phone over smartphones when purchasing a new device:
For instance, in the whole MEA region, 80% of all sold phones
in Q4 2012 have been feature phones
25
. These devices do not
even appear in the table aboveprobably because feature
phone users do not frequently use apps and are, therefore, not
of interest to many developers.
Newer platforms such as BB10 do not appear in many
statistics either because they are new to market. However,
one of these platforms might still be the best choice for your
business case.
You also have to remember that these are global fgures
the regional market share of each platform is another matter
altogether. In a world where localized content is increasing in
importance, it is essential to know the details and character-
istics of your home market. For example, China is the largest
smartphone market today where Android clearly dominates,
holding a market share of over 90%
26
.
To fnd out about market share in your target region,
check out online resources such as comscore
27
, StatCounter
28
,
VisionMobile
29
or Gartner
30
.
25 gulfnews.com/business/technology/apple-microsoft-to-steal-market-share-in-
mea-smartphone-sales-1.1112944
26 www.techinasia.com/android-market-share-china-2012/
27 comscoredatamine.com/category/mobile
28 gs.statcounter.com
29 visionmobile.com
30 gartner.com
11
About Time and Space
As developers, we tend to have a lot of passion for our chosen
darlings. However, let us not forget that these technologies
are just thattechnologies that are relevant in a given time
and space, but not more. Yes, some famewars are fun but in
retrospect, they always are silly. Hands up those who fought
about Atari versus Amiga back in the good ol 80s! Probably
not many of you but, surely, you get the point. Initiatives like
FairPhone
31
may prove more important than the OS or vendor of
your choice in the future.
Lost in Space
If you are lost in the jungle of mobile development, do not
worry, stay calm and keep on reading. Go through the options
and take the problem that you want to solve, your target
audience, and your know-how into account. Put a lot of effort
into designing the experience of your service, concentrate on
the problem at hand, and keep it simple. It is better to do one
thing well rather than doing everything only so-so. Invest in
the design and usability of your solution. Last but not least,
fnding the right niche is often better than trying to copy
something already successful. This guide will help you make an
informed decision!
31 fairphone.com
13
Conceptional Design for Mobile
B
Y

A
n
n
a

A
l
f
u
t
Conceptional Design
for Mobile
Stumbling upon an idea is a wonderful Aha! moment. You
suddenly know what to do and have the confdence that your
idea will solve the problem faced by your potential users.
Going from this early stage to the fnal app implementation
is challenging. Not only do you aim to build a stable applica-
tion, you also want it to be helpful and easy to use.
User Experience is how users perceive your application
during and after they have interacted with it. Was it well
designed? Did it help them achieve a task in an effcient or fun
way? Was everything working smoothly? Before you get into
design and coding, it is worth spending some time in refning
your concept.
Capturing the Idea
Write a concept summary that describes your app in few
sentences (one would be ideal). Try to explain it to several
people, outside your team members, to see how well they can
understand and relate to it.
Get to know your audience. Who are the people that you
are designing for and what are their motivations for using your
app? If you can, go and talk to them to get some frst-hand
information. A useful technique to document your fndings in
this area is to create personasgeneric profles of your user
groups.
Defne your content. Ask yourself what is the core content
of your application? Depending on your application type, it
may be photos, user generated feeds, original data (books,
14
metadata, music) etc. Once you recognize the main information
to display it is easier to get the right focus in the design stage.
For example, if you are creating an e-book reader app you prob-
ably want to make sure that the typography is of good quality,
and your screen designs provide enough space for text without
UI elements getting in the way of the reading experience.
Describe the main functionality. What will users do via your
interface? You can think about it in terms of verbs and try to
list them out: browse, share, buy etc. You will notice that some
activities are related. For instance, if your application has a
strong community aspect there will be a number of features
that you can group (like sharing, commenting, messaging,
following). This can be another UI hint for you. It helps users if
related functionalities are presented in a similar way.
When designing for mobile experience you need to think
about the context in which your app will be used. And how it
will affect both your interface usability and the users. Do you
think you will get users full attention, or will they be jogging
at the same time? Is your app a stand alone product? Does it
relate or depend on other services? What will happen if there
is no internet connection? How will your apps UI handle this
situation?
It is worthwhile to spend some time on market research.
Play with other apps that might be similar to yours. Find out
how they are doing: what users think about them. This is a
good way of knowing the space you are entering.
After answering so many questions you should have a clearer
understanding about the app you want to build. As you go
further with your idea development keep asking those ques-
tions. It is a good way to keep focused and check if you are
getting closer to what you wanted to achieve.
15
Designing User Experience
To capture and refne your apps overall UX you have to think
about the user fows, information architecture, interactions,
layout structure and visual design. How will it all work together
in your products environment? What are the details of each
scenario, what issues users might have while using your app,
and how feedback will be communicated in a helpful way.
User Flows
Some apps have very linear fow to achieve a certain task
(e.g. a camera app). Some might have more iterative journeys.
Describe your ideal scenario(s) where user starts at a point A
and after a number of steps, ends up in point B. Think of other
possible journeys that can deviate from the ideal path. Draw
fowcharts or use wireframes to map out various scenarios in
detail.
Wireframes
Wireframes are fat, sketchy versions of your interface. Their
purpose is to capture functionalities and overall interface
concept. A wireframe for a given screen will have different
versions/states depending on a scenario. For a network error
you will have different instances of the same screen.
Before you delve into detailed layouts, get familiar with
UI guidelines for the OS that your app will be developed for.
Each platform is a different environment and you should read
guidelines to use the correct conventions. Unless you have a
strong case to do otherwise, follow the established practices.
Make your research and get familiar with pattern galleries that
are available online. Keeping close to the native feel gives
you instant usability benefts. Users are likely to recognize
standard behaviours or visual treatments from using other
16
applications on their devices. You will fnd platform-specifc
links in the respective chapters of this book.
Wireframes can be done with pen and paper or you can use
one of the many wireframing tools that are out there. Sketching
on paper is probably the best way to start as you do not need
to spend time learning new software. Drawings are easier to
change and scrap. It is also a lot of fun to make them. The
advantage of using dedicated applications is the ability to
collaborate on your designs and transform your mockups into
clickable prototypes.
Prototyping
A prototype is the best way to visualize and evaluate your
apps interactions. It does not matter whether you have a big
budget or are working on a personal project over the weekends,
having a fairly complete prototype version of your app is the
best way to communicate your concept and discuss it with
others. Prototype is done before you spend time on developing
the fnal code and pixel perfect designs. An agreed clickable
walkthrough is a useful reference that teams can work towards
without risking going too much off track.
There is no best way of putting a prototype together. You
can use whatever technique works for you. From paper proto-
typing, using one of the specialised tools or other applications
that have the functionality to put clickable journeys together
(like standard presentation tools). If you have coding skills,
building a HTML prototype is also a good way to go. You may
be able to use available frameworks and libraries to design a
prototype that looks and acts similar to the fnal product.
Some available tools are free and most of the commercial
ones offer trial version or have free account options for limited
number of projects. Here is a list of few applications to try and
choose from:
17
Application About Availability
App in seconds
appinseconds.com
Web based, prototyping for iPhone. commercial
Axure
axure.com
Desktop application, wireframing
and prototyping.
commercial
Balsamiq
Mockups
balsamiq.com
Desktop application or plugin
to wikis and bug tracking tools,
wireframing.
commercial
Fluid UI
fuidui.com
Web based, prototyping for iOS,
Android, Windows and web projects.
commercial
Mockingbird
gomockingbird.com
Web based, wireframing and
prototyping.
commercial
OmniGraffe
omnigroup.com/
products/omnigraffe
Desktop application, diagraming
and wireframing.
commercial
Pencil
pencil.evolus.vn
Desktop application or Firefox
extension; open source GUI
prototyping tool.
free
POP
popapp.in
iPhone and Android app, making
hand drawn designs photos into
clickable prototypes.
free
Proto io
proto.io
Web based, prototyping. commercial
Proty
protytype.com
Web based, responsive wireframing. free
UX Pin
uxpin.comw
Web based, design and wireframing. commercial
Visual design
Unless you are building an app that uses non-visual input, your
app UI will rely on graphics. Taking care of visual design details
will improve your apps experience and make it stand-out from
amongst the masses.
18
Spacing and visual hierarchy improves your interface usabil-
ity. Layout defnes details of positioning the elements on the
screen and its relation to each other. After users learn your UI
it should stay consistent throughout the fow. For example, if
your main action button changes color from screen to screen,
consider the impact on the users, will they be confused? will
they understand the signifcance of the change?. If the color
changes are intentional, make sure you are doing them for
good reasons.
Similar to designing layouts and interactions on the
wireframes level, certain styling decisions might be informed
by a specifc platform guidelines. Your app can look very
different depending on which platform it was designed for.
Make sure that your designs follow the recommended practices
for font use, standard icons, layout conventions. Again: see the
platform-related chapters of this guide to fnd more informa-
tion and links to specifc online resources.
It is best if the company branding is interpreted in the UI
in a non-obstructive way so users can concentrate on interact-
ing with you app. Use the background, controls colors, maybe
certain images or layout choices to add the desired look and
feel. Splash screen (if present) is the place where you can
display some additional graphics.
Finally, the launching icon is the frst-impression visual ele-
ment that your app will be identifed by and judged on. Make
it look good. If you are planning on doing releases on multiple
platforms check the design requirements early so you can come
up with an easily portable artwork.
User testing
The best way of validating your interface concept is to
confront it with real users as soon as possible. You do not need
to wait until you have a fnished and polished product. In fact
testing early can save you a lot of time in the long term as it
19
can expose the ideas that dont work quickly. The more time
you invest into developing your designs the harder it gets to
let go and start over. It is more diffcult to accept feedback on
something that you considered almost done than on a clickable
prototype that you can update fairly quickly.
Ask few people to do certain tasks using your prototype. If
the app you are designing is a music player you can ask them
to play a song. If you are unsure of certain functionality you
can try to divert the users attention by asking them to perform
reversed tasks, like changing the selected track and picking
another one instead. To get the most honest feedback try not
to guide users when they are using your prototype.
You can also run testing sessions on other apps that are
currently out there. It can surprise you how much others notice
about the application that you might have never thought of.
Iterate on your designs and apply learnings from user testing
as often as you can.
Learn more
There is plenty of resources available online. Here are some to
whet your appetite:
Online magazines
Konigi: konigi.com
Smashing Magazine (UX design section): uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com
UX Magazine: uxmag.com
UX Matters: uxmatters.com
UX Mastery: uxmastery.com
Books
Susan Weinschenk. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People. Research
fndings on why people react in certain ways when interacting with technology.
Steve Krug. Rocket Surgery Made Easy. A guide how to run usability testing sessions.
This is Service Design Thinking. Characteristics and techniques of service design
workfow. thisisservicedesignthinking.com
Other resources
Nielsen Norman Group: nngroup.com
Interaction Design Foundation: interaction-design.org
21
Android
Android
The Ecosystem
The Android platform is developed by the Open Handset
Alliance led by Google and has been publicly available since
November 2007.
Its use by the majority of hardware manufacturers has made
it the fastest growing smartphone operating system. Almost
80% of all smartphones sold in Q2 2013 worldwide are based
on Android
1
. At this years Google I/O keynote in May, Google
announced that over 900 million Android devices have been
activated so far
2
which also includes tablets, media players,
set-top boxes, desktop phones and car entertainment systems.
Google also released its smart eyeglasses, Google Glass, to a
small group of users running a minimal version of Android 4.0.4
supporting both web and native apps. In August 2013, there
were over 800,000 apps available in the Android Market
3
. Some
non-Android devices are also able to run Android applications
with reduced functionality, such as RIMs Playbook with its
BlackBerry Android runtime, the new Open Source OS Sailfsh
4

and the crowdfunded gaming console Ouya.
1 thenextweb.com/mobile/2013/08/01/strategy-analytics-android-smartphone-
shipments-up-to-79-5-in-q2-2013-ios-down-to-13-6-windows-phone-at-3-9/
www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24257413
2 gigaom.com/2013/05/15/google-io-statshot-900-million-android-devices-
activated/
3 www.appbrain.com/stats/number-of-android-apps
4 www.sailfshos.org/
B
Y

T
i
m

M
e
s
s
e
r
s
c
h
m
i
d
t
22
Android
Android is an operating system, a collection of pre-installed
applications and an application framework (Dalvik) supported
by a comprehensive set of tools. The platform continues to
evolve rapidly, with the regular addition of new features every
6 months or so with the newest release being Android 4.3 Jelly
Bean. 4.3 can be considered more as a minor update due to its
enhancements, tweaks, and fxes being less visual and more
under the hood. One of the most important additions is called
Restricted Profles and allows the setting up of different profles
for multiple users on the same device. Support for Bluetooth
4.0 Low Energy was also introduced: This enables an energy
savvy way of connecting to multiple Bluetooth devices such as
ftness wristbands that require a constant connection.
One of the most discussed issues when developing for
Android is fragmentation: The multitude of different devices by
different manufacturers and the fast progress of the platform
itself leads to uncertainty over whether or not your Android
application will run everywhere. In addition, only a very small
number of phone and tablet models support the latest OS
version. However, today, you will reach 98.7% of the instal-
lation base if you decide to target Android 2.2 or above
5
. To
reduce fragmentation issues caused by large differences in
screen size, Android 3.2 introduced a new resource descriptor
called smallestWidth which can be used to target phones and
tablets with different layout depending on their dimensions
6
.
Jelly Bean, despite being the newest Android release, is already
installed on more than 40.5 % of all devices and Gingerbread,
although already over 2.5 years old, still powers 33.1 %. The
Version Dashboard
7
provides additional insight regarding these
statistics should one require it.
5 developer.android.com/resources/dashboard/platform-versions.html
6 developer.android.com/guide/practices/screens_support.html#NewQualifers
7 developer.android.com/about/dashboards
23
Android
To push solid user experience and consistent appearance of
Android applications, Google published the following design
guide for Android apps on: developer.android.com/design/.
Prerequisites
The main programming language for Android is based on Java.
But beware, only a subset of the Java libraries and packages is
supported and there are many platform specifc APIs that will
not work with Android. You can fnd answers to your What and
Why questions online in Androids Dev Guide
8
and your How
questions in the reference documentation
9
. Furthermore, Google
introduced a section in their documentation called Android
Training
10
that aids new developers learn about various best
practices. This is where you can learn about basics such as
navigation and inter-app communication, as well as more
advanced features such as intelligent Bitmap downloads and
the optimization of your application for less battery drainage.
To get started, you need the Android SDK
11
, which is
available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It contains the
tools needed to build, test, debug and analyze applications.
The Android Development Tools (ADT)
12
are responsible for the
integration with IDEs and make sure that your development
fow is as comfortable as possible.
8 developer.android.com/guide
9 developer.android.com/reference
10 developer.android.com/training/index.html
11 developer.android.com/sdk
12 developer.android.com/tools/sdk/eclipse-adt.html
24
Android
IDE support
Today, Google offers prepacked IDEs based on IntelliJ called
Android Studio, and Eclipse (referred to as Eclipse + ADT
Plugin), effectively bundling the Android Developer Tools with
the IDE. Using these tools saves some time in the setup of the
SDKs and offer a more Android-tailored experience: Android
Studio comes directly with Gradle-support and allows to display
resources such as strings and colors next to its reference.
As Android Studio is still an early beta version, you might
encounter a bug or twobetter stick to Eclipse should this be
a showstopper for you.
IDE plugin support bundled version
Eclipse seperate ADT
package
Eclipse + ADT Plugin
Intellij seperate Android
plugin
Android Studio
More information and the needed downloads can be found in
the Android documentations Tools
13
section.
Native development
The Android NDK
14
allows writing native components for your
application by leveraging both JNI for invocations of native
methods and using native subclasses that offer callbacks to its
non-native pendants. This is important for game developers and
anyone who needs to rely on effcient computing.
13 developer.android.com/tools
14 developer.android.com/tools/sdk/ndk
25
Android
Implementation
App Architecture
Android applications usually include a mix of Activities,
Services, BroadcastReceivers, and data providers; these all need
to be declared in the applications manifest:
An Activity is a piece of functionality with an attached user
interface. A Service is used for tasks that run in the background
and, therefore, not tied directly to a visual representation. A
message Receiver handles messages broadcasted by the system,
your own or other applications. A data provider is an interface
to the content of an application that abstracts from the
underlying storage mechanisms (e.g. SQLite).
An application may consist of several of these components,
for instance an Activity for the UI and a Service for long run-
ning tasks. Communication between the components is done by
Intents or remote procedure calls handled via AIDL
15
.
Intents bundle data, such as the users location or a URL,
with an action. These intents trigger behaviors in the platform
and can be used as a messaging system in your application.
For instance, the Intent of showing a web page will open the
browser application. A powerful aspect about this building
block philosophy is that any functionality can be replaced by
another application, as the Android system always uses the
preferred application for a specifc Intent. For example, the
intent of sharing a web page triggered by a news reader app
can open an email client or a text messaging app depending
on the applications installed and the users preference: Any
application that declares the sharing Intent as their interface
may be used.
15 Android Interface Defnition Language
26
Android
The user interface of an application is separated from the
code in Android-specifc XML layout fles. Different layouts can
be created for different screen sizes, country locales and device
features without touching the Java code. To this end, localized
strings and images are organized in separate resource folders.
Of course, you are also able to defne and design layouts in
code or make use of both strategies to enable dynamic UI
updates.
The SDK and Plug-Ins
To aid development, you have many tools at your disposal in
the SDK, the most important ones are:

android: To create a project or manage virtual devices and
versions of the SDK.

adb: To query devices, connect and interact with them
(and virtual devices) by moving fles, installing apps and
the like.

emulator: To emulate the defned features of a virtual
device. It takes a while to start, so do it once and not for
every build.

ddms: To look inside your device or emulator, watch log
messages, and control emulator features such as network
latency and GPS position. It can also be used to view
memory consumption and kill processes. If this tool is
running, you can also connect the Eclipse debugger to a
process running in the emulator. Beyond that, ddms is the
only way (without root-access) to create screenshots in
Android versions below 4.0.
These four tools along with many others, including tools to
analyze method trace logs, inspect layouts, and test apps with
random events, can be found in the tools directory of the SDK.
27
Android
IDE plug-ins are available to help manage all these fles.
Version 11.x of IntelliJ includes a visual layout-editor, so you
are free to choose between Eclipse & IntelliJ in case you want
to do some rapid prototyping by dragging around UI-elements
in the editor.
If you are facing issues, such as exceptions being thrown,
be sure to check the ddms log or use the logcat mechanism.
It enables you to check if you neglected to add all necessary
permissions, for example, andr oi d. per mi ssi on. I NTERNET
in the uses-permission element
16
.
If you are using features introduced after Android 2.3 such
as Fragments
17
for large screens, be sure to add the Android
Compatibility package from Google. It is available through the
SDK & AVD Manager and helps development for Android 3.0+
without causing problems with deployment to Android 1.6
18

through to Android 2.3. Be sure to use the v4 packages in your
application to provide maximum backwards support. There is
also a version for Android 2.1 and above called v7 appcompat
library that introduces a way to implement the ActionBar
pattern as documented online
19
.
Developing your application against Android 3.1+, will
enable you to make homescreen widgets resizable, and connect
via USB to other devices, such as digital cameras, gamepads,
and many others. Android Ice Cream Sandwich (4.0) and Jelly
Bean (4.1 to 4.3) introduce interesting new features such as
expandable notifcations, lockscreen widgets, and a camera with
face detection. The native computing framework, Renderscript
(introduced in Honeycomb 3.1), was heavily changed and no
16 developer.android.com/reference/android/Manifest.permission.html
17 developer.android.com/guide/topics/fundamentals/fragments.html
18 android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/03/fragments-for-all.html
19 developer.android.com/tools/support-library/features.html
28
Android
longer provides direct graphic rendering capabilities but may
now instead be used for heavy computing.
To provide some backwards compatibility for devices with
older Android versions, Google began to use the Google Play
Services framework
20
which gets updated via the Play Store
and adds libraries such as the newest Google Maps. If you are
interested in authenticating users, you might want to have a
look at the Google+ Sign capabilities that bring the beneft of
real user data to your application. The functionality is managed
via OAuth 2.0 tokens that allow usage of the Google Account
on the users behalf.
Testing
The frst step to testing an app is to run it on the emulator or
a device. You can then debug it, if necessary, through the ddms
tool.
All versions of the Android OS are built to run on devices
without modifcation, however some hardware manufacturers
may have changed pieces of the platform. Therefore, testing
on a mix of physical devices is essential. To get an idea which
devices are most popular, refer to AppBrains list
21
.
To automate testing, the Android SDK comes with some
capable and useful testing instrumentation
22
tools. Tests can
be written using the standard JUnit format, using the Android
mock objects that are contained in the SDK.
The Instrumentation classes can monitor the UI and send
system events such as key presses. Your tests can then check
the status of your application after these events have occurred.
20 developer.android.com/google/play-services/
21 www.appbrain.com/stats/top-android-phones
22 developer.android.com/guide/topics/testing/testing_android.html
29
Android
MonkeyRunner
23
is a powerful and extensible test automation
tool for testing the entire application. These tests can be run
on both virtual and physical devices.
In revision 21 of the SDK, Google fnally introduced a more
effcient UI automation testing framework
24
which allows
functional UI testing on Android Jelly Bean and above. The
tool itself can be executed from your shell with the command
ui aut omat or vi ewer and will present you the captured inter-
face including some information about the currently presented
views. Executing the tests is relatively easy: After you have
written your test, it is then built via ANT as a JAR-fle. This fle
has to be pushed onto your device and then executed via the
command adb shel l ui aut omat or r unt est .
Open source testing frameworks, such as Robotium
25
, can
complement your other automated tests. Robotium can even be
used to test binary apk fles if the apps source is not avail-
able. Roboelectric
26
is another great tool which runs the tests
directly in your IDE in your standard / desktop JVM.
Your automated tests can be run on continuous integration
servers such as Jenkins or Hudson. Roboelectric runs in a
standard JVM and does not need an Android run-time environ-
ment. Most other automated testing frameworks, including
Robotium, are based on Androids Instrumentation framework,
and will need to run in the Dalvik JVM. Plugins such as the
Android Emulator Plugin
27
enable these tests to be confgured
and run in Hudson and Jenkins.
23 developer.android.com/guide/developing/tools/monkeyrunner_concepts.html
24 android-developers.blogspot.de/2012/11/android-sdk-tools-revision-21.html
25 code.google.com/p/robotium
26 pivotal.github.com/robolectric/
27 wiki.hudson-ci.org/display/HUDSON/Android+Emulator+Plugin
30
Android
Building
Aside from building your application directly in the IDE of
your choice, there are also more comfortable ways to build
Android applications. The software Gradle
28
is now the offcially
supported build automation tool for Android. There is also
a maven plugin
29
which is heavily supported by the com-
munity. Both tools can use dependencies from different Maven
repositories e.g. Maven Central Repository
30
.
Googles way of shipping libraries for Gradle is called
Android Archive (.aar fles) that can be obtained using the
Android SDK Manager. You are also able to package your own
libraries or SDKs utilizing the android-library plugin for Gradle.
Signing
Your application will always be signed by the build process,
either with a debug or release signature. You can use a self-
signing mechanism, which avoids signing fees (and security).
The same signature must be used for updates to your
applicationso make sure to not lose the keystore fle or the
password. Remember: you can use the same key for all your
applications or create a new one for every app.
28 more information on tools.android.com/tech-docs/new-build-system/using-
the-new-build-system
29 code.google.com/p/maven-android-plugin/
30 www.maven.org
31
Android
Distribution
After you have created the next killer application and tested it,
you should place it in Androids appstore called Play. This is a
good place to reach customers to sell your apps to. Android 1.6
upwards also supports in-app purchase via Google Wallet. This
enables you to sell extra content, feature sets, et cetera, from
within your app by using the existing infrastructure of Android
Play
31
. It is also used by other app portals as a source for app
metadata. To upload your application to Android Play, go to
play.google.com/apps/publish/.
You are required to register with the service using your
Google Checkout Account and pay a $25 registration fee. Once
your registration is approved, you can upload your application,
add screenshots and descriptions, then publish it.
Make sure that you have defned a ver si onName,
ver si onCode, an icon and a label in your
Andr oi dMani f est . xml . Furthermore, the declared features
in the manifest (uses-feature nodes) are used to flter apps for
different devices.
One of the recent additions to the Google Play Store is alpha
and beta testing plus staged rollouts. This allows you to do
some friendly user testing before publishing the app to all us-
ers. Furthermore, you can target specifc countries and devices
by setting the right fags in the Developer Console and export
detailed statistics that help in understanding your userbase.
Using the inbuilt localization service, you can easily add new
languages to your app by paying a feemake sure to check
the Localization Checklist
32
for detailed information about the
importance of this topic.
31 developer.android.com/guide/google/play/billing/
32 developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/publish/localizing.html
32
Android
As there are lots of competing applications in Android Play,
you might want to use alternative application stores
33
. They
provide different payment methods and may target specifc con-
sumer groups. One of those markets is the Amazon Appstore,
which comes pre-installed on the Kindle Fire tablet family.
Adaption
As Androids adaption increases, a whole vendor specifc
ecosystem has also been growing that involves its own SDKs,
fully-customized Android versions and tools around topics
such as / testing. This has both upsides, i.e. a very tight
integration that allows an amazing experience for users, and
downsides, i.e. increased fragmentation of the whole ecosys-
tem. Vendor specifc marketplaces often prohibit the upload of
generic applications that utilize utilities other than their own.
One example is Amazons Kindle Fire ecosystem which is
basically a customized fork of Android and represents the
Android tablet with the biggest market share: Instead of using
Googles Play Services for enabling In App Purchases or Maps,
you have to use Amazons own libraries that offer similar
functionality. The reasoning behind it is pretty simple: Kindle
devices are not delivered with the required libraries to run
Googles services. Amazon also offers their own advertisement
and gaming services (comparable to Google Play Games) that
help to target your audience. Offering Emulators for their four
different devices (1st Gen, 2nd Gen, HD 7 and HD 8.9),
Amazon helps perfect your app by providing a realistic environ-
ment. On top of the testing that Amazon offers their developer
community, they also review any application that gets uploaded
to their Appstore.
33 wipconnector.com/index.php/appstores/tag/android
33
Android
Here is a little overview that can help you fnd the right
resources:
Vendor Documentation
Amazon
developer.amazon.com/sdk/fre.html
HTC
htcdev.com
LG
developer.lge.com
Motorola
developer.motorolasolutions.com/
community/android
Samsung
developer.samsung.com/android
Sony
developer.sonymobile.com
Interestingly enough more and more vendors (e.g. Samsung and
HTC) have also started to offer vanilla Android versions of their
devices called Google Play Edition. These devices use the
same hardware as the regular models but do not come with any
software customization. These devices are directly distributed
through Googles Play Store and offer bleeding edge devices to
users that want to stick to Googles experience.
34
Android
Monetization
In addition to selling an app in one of the many application
stores currently existing, there are lots of different ways of
monetizing an Android application. One suitable way is by
using advertising which may either be click- or view-based
and can provide a steady income. Other than that, there are
different In-App Billing possibilities such as Googles own
service
34
which utilizes the Google Play Store or PayPals Mobile
SDK
35
and Mobile Payments Library
36
. Most services differ in
transaction-based fees and the possibilities they offer e.g.
subscriptions, parallel payments or pre-approved payments. If
youre looking to bring an extra cool functionality to your app,
you should consider implementing card.ios SDK
37
for camera-
enabled credit card scanning.
For the vendor specifc ecosystems e.g. Samsung Apps or
Amazons Appstore you should consider using their SDKs to
enjoy the benefts of optimized monetization.
Be sure to check that the payment method of your choice is
in harmony with the terms and conditions of the different mar-
kets you want to publish your application to. Those particularly
for digital downloads, for which exist different rules, are worth
checking out.
34 developer.android.com/google/play/billing/
35 github.com/paypal/PayPal-Android-SDK
36 developer.paypal.com/webapps/developer/docs/classic/mobile/gs_MPL/
37 card.io
36
BlackBerry Java Apps
The Ecosystem
The BlackBerry platform is developed by Canadian company Re-
search In Motion (RIM) and was launched in 1999. BlackBerry
devices became extremely popular because they were equipped
with a full keyboard for comfortable text input (which spawned
a condition named BlackBerry Thumb
1
), offered a robust push
service for email and other data, offered long battery life and
included BlackBerry Messenger, their mobile social network
offering. Add PDA applications such as address book, secure
email, calendar, tasks and memopad to these features and
you will understand why the platform was very popular among
business and mainstream users alike.
The overall market share of BlackBerry phones has continued
to decline in 2012
2
. To gain back lost ground in the market,
RIM decided to take radical measures and introduce a complete-
ly new operating system: BlackBerry 10 (BB10). They even gave
themselves a new name: The company is now also offcially
called BlackBerry. Since 2013, all their new devices are based
on BB10. See the dedicated BB10 chapter to learn more about
the technology and how to create apps for it.
This chapter concentrates on developing apps for the older
BlackBerry devices released before 2013. Two development
approaches are available depending on the type and nature of
your planned project. For mid-sized to large applications native
Java development is the best choice; while small apps could be
developed with the BlackBerry WebWorks SDK.
1 wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackberry_thumb
2 gs.statcounter.com
B
Y

O
v
i
d
i
u

I
l
i
e
s
c
u

&

M
i
c
h
a
e
l

K
o
c
h
37
Although it will be phased out in the future, currently the
BlackBerry Java API is the most commonly used method to
develop BlackBerry apps. As such, this chapter focuses on Java
development.
Prerequisites
First, download the Java SDK
3
(not the Java Runtime Environ-
ment). Next, you need Eclipse and the BlackBerry plugin
4
.
These can be downloaded separately, or as a convenient bundle
which also includes the SDK and simulators for the latest
BlackBerry OS. Instructions on how to download SDKs for
older devices are available on the download page. Extra device
simulators are available for download from RIMs website
5
.
To deploy your app package on to a device for testing you
should download and install the BlackBerry Desktop Manager
6
.
For faster deployment, you might also use a tool called
javaloader that comes with the JDE.
Implementation
The BlackBerry JDE is partly based on Java ME and some of
its JSR extensions: Integrated into the SDK is the MIDP 2.0
standard with popular JSR extensions that provide APIs for UI,
audio, video, and location services among others
7
. This means
that BlackBerry apps can be created using Java ME technolo-
gies alone.
3 oracle.com/technetwork/java
4 us.blackberry.com/developers/javaappdev/javaplugin.jsp
5 us.blackberry.com/sites/developers/resources/simulators.html
6 us.blackberry.com/apps-software/desktop/
7 blackberry.com/developers/docs/6.0.0api/index.html
38
Another option is to use BlackBerrys proprietary extensions
and UI framework that enable you to make full use of the
platform.
Native UI components can be styled to an extent, but
they inherit their look from the current theme. This can be
prevented in code, by overriding the Fi el d. appl yTheme( )
method for each component/feld.
From OpenGL-ES to homescreen interaction and cryptogra-
phy, the BlackBerry APIs provide you with everything you need
to create compelling apps. In addition to the offcial BlackBerry
tools, there are third party extensions that enable you to
enhance your apps, for example J2ME Polish
8
or Glaze
9
which
enable you to design and animate your UI using CSS.
Services
BlackBerry offers many services that can be useful in develop-
ing your applications including advertising, mapping, payment
and push services
10
.
The push service
11
is useful mainly in mail, messaging or
news applications. Its main beneft is that the device waits for
the server to push updates to it, instead of the device continu-
ously polling the server to fnd out if updates are available and
then pulling the updates from the server. This reduces network
traffc, battery usage and, for users on metered data plans or
roaming, lowers costs. BlackBerry offers the push mechanism
as a limited free service, with a premium paid extension that
enables you to send more push messages.
8 j2mepolish.org
9 glaze-ui.org
10 developer.blackberry.com/services/#platform
11 us.blackberry.com/developers/platform/pushapi.jsp
39
Porting
Porting apps between BlackBerry devices is easy because the OS
is made by a single company that has been careful to minimize
fragmentation issues. However, this does not entirely eliminate
challenges:

Some classes and functionality are only available on
specifc OS versions. For example the FilePicker that is used
to choose a fle is only available from OS 5.0 onwards.

You need to handle different screen resolutions and
orientation modes (landscape and portrait).

You need to handle touch and non-touch devices and,
depending on the target device, some device-specifc
features as well (such as the Storms physically clickable
touchscreen).
Porting to other Java platforms such as Java ME and Android
is complicated as it is not possible to port the BlackBerry UI.
In general, cross-platform portability strongly depends on how
frequently your app uses native BlackBerry components and
APIs. For example it is not possible to reuse BlackBerry push
services classes on other platforms.
Testing
BlackBerry provides simulators for various handsets either
bundled with the Eclipse plugin or as separate downloads.
These simulators enable you to run an app on a PC in the
same way it would be run on a device. The Blackberry testing
and debugging capabilities are on par with those of other
modern platforms such as Android and iOS: the simulators allow
developers to simulate a large variety of events (incoming calls,
changes to GPS coordinates, changes to network conditions,
40
etc) while on-device debugging makes it easy to test your code
on real hardware.
In addition, automated testing is also possible, though
somewhat limited and complicated. You can use the bundled
FledgeController tool
12
to inject events programatically from
your computer, or you can use the EventInjector class
13
to
inject events from a BlackBerry application running on the
device (or simulator). However, there is very little documenta-
tion available on the topic, so expect some hacking and
head-scratching to be a part of your BlackBerry automated
testing experience.
Signing
Many security-critical classes and features of the platform (such
as networking or fle APIs) require an application to be signed
such that the publisher can be identifed. To achieve this, you
need to obtain a signing key directly from BlackBerry
14
. The
signing itself is undertaken using the rapc tool, which also
packages the application.
Distribution
BlackBerrys own distribution channel is called App World
15

where you can publish your apps. For paid applications, you
get a 70% revenue share. In addition GetJar
16
is a well-known
independent website that also publishes BlackBerry apps.
12 docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/15476/Using_the_
BBSmrtphnSmltr_programmatically_607582_11.jsp
13 blackberry.com/developers/docs/4.1api/net/rim/device/api/system/
EventInjector.html
14 www.blackberry.com/SignedKeys/codesigning.html
15 appworld.blackberry.com
16 getjar.com
41
Learn More
If you want to learn more about BlackBerry Java development,
the following are a few resources that might help you.
Bundled sample apps
The SDKs come with a great selection of sample apps, showcas-
ing everything from simple Hello, World! applications to a
complex geo-location and multimedia apps.
Online
A number of important online resources are available:

The offcial BlackBerry documentation microsite
17

The BlackBerry developer forums
18
There is also a wealth of BlackBerry knowledge scattered
around the internet, dealing with some problems and topics
much better than the offcial documentation. Search engines
are your friends!
Books
Printed works dealing with BlackBerry Java development
include:

BlackBerry Development Fundamentals
19
by John Wargo

Beginning BlackBerry 7 Development 2nd Edition by
Anthony Rizk

Advanced BlackBerry 6 Development 2nd Edition by
Chris King
17 developer.blackberry.com/java/documentation/
18 supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Java-Development/bd-p/java_dev
19 bbdevfundamentals.com/
43
BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry 10
The Ecosystem
The BlackBerry 10 platform (BB10) is a general relaunch from
BlackBerry (company former named RIM). BlackBerry has taken
this approach in order to catch-up with competing mobile
operating systems: iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8. BB10
devices came to market in Q1 2013there are no upgrade plans
for older generation devices. Currently three BB10 handsets
are available: The fagship Z10 and two phones with a physical
keyboard, the Q5 and Q10.
BlackBerry is under massive market pressure: In Q1 2013,
only 2.9% of all smartphones sold globally were BlackBerry
devices- compared to a market share of 6.4% a year earlier.
They have to make BB10 a success if they do not want to lose
even more ground, so they are investing a lot in this relaunch.
This means new and interesting opportunities for app develop-
ers who are willing to develop for the new platform. Although
the OS is entirely new, in its core it is based on QNX, a realtime
OS for embedded devices. The other parts of the BlackBerry
ecosystem, like the Marketplace called BlackBerry World or the
push-service, have not changed. A big asset for BlackBerry
in enterprises are the Mobile-Management-Software called
BlackBerry Enterprise Server.
The latest BlackBerry SDK version 10.2 is available since fall
2013.
B
Y

M
a
r
c
u
s

R
o
s
s
44
BlackBerry 10
Development
With BB10, apps can be developed using a wide variety of
software technologies:

C Native SDK

C++ Cascades SDK

HTML5 (WebWorks SDK)

Adobe Air

Android Runtime

BlackBerry App Generator
To attract developers to their new OS, RIM provides a rich
set of resources including a simulator, many sample projects on
GitHub
1
and frequently updated documentation
2
.
A major point of discontent, for which RIM has received a
lot of backlash, is that the current Java API is no longer sup-
ported. This means that Java developers writing code for older,
non-BB10 BlackBerry devices need to re-orient themselves
to one of the technologies previously mentioned. As not all
developers are willing to do this, there is concern in the com-
munity that too many developers will jump ship and re-orient
themselves to competing platforms. Furthermore, since there is
no migration path for current generation apps, developers will
need to rewrite them from scratch for the new platform. This
is necessary because the core of the new OS is based on QNX
3
,
a realtime embedded OS. On the other hand, the new platform
offers new opportunities, e.g. for web developers and Android
developers who can easily migrate their apps.
1 github.com/blackberry
2 developer.blackberry.com/platforms/bb10
3 www.qnx.com
45
C Native SDK
The BlackBerry native SDK supports many open standards that
allow developers to bring their existing apps to the platform.
To get started, there is a Native Dev Site
4
. Writing your
code with the native SDK enables your app is as close to the
hardware as possible. The BlackBerry 10 native SDK includes
everything you need to develop programs that run under the
BlackBerry 10 OS: a compiler, linker, libraries, and an extensive
Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It is available for
Windows, Mac and Linux.
The core development steps are the following:

Request a signing account and keys

Set up the native SDK
5

Install and confgure the simulator
6

Confgure your environment for development and deploy-
ment

Create your frst project

Run sample applications
As a new addition, BlackBerry added Scoreloop
7
support to
the NDK. Scoreloop is a technology that enables mobile social
gaming. It lets developers integrate social features into their
games, while preserving each games specifc look and feel.
Some of the features currently available include:

User profle

Leaderboards

Challenges

Awards and achievements
4 developer.blackberry.com/native/beta
5 developer.blackberry.com/native/download
6 developer.blackberry.com/native/download
7 developer.blackberry.com/native/documentation/bb10/com.qnx.doc.
scoreloop.lib_ref/topic/overview.htmll
46
BlackBerry 10
C++ Cascades SDK
Developing with C++ and Cascades is another option. Cascades
has been designed to allow developers to build a BlackBerry
native application with strong support for easy UI implemena-
tion. The Cascades framework separates application logic from
the UI rendering engine. In an application, the declared UI
controls, their properties and their behavior are defned in an
Markup-Language called QML
8
. When your application runs, the
UI rendering engine displays your UI controls and applies any
transitions and effects that are specifed. The Cascades SDK
provides the following features:

Cascades UI and platform APIs

Tools to develop your UI in C++, Qt Modeling Language
(QML), or both

Ability to take advantage of core UI controls and to create
new controls

Communication over mobile and Wi-Fi networks

Recording and playback of media fles

Storage and retrieval of data

Certifcate managing and cryptographic tools
The Cascades framework is built using the Qt application
framework. This architecture allows Cascades to leverage the Qt
object model, event model, and threading model. The slots and
signals mechanism in Qt allows for powerful and fexible inter-
object communication. The Cascades framework incorporates
features of fundamental Qt classes (such as QtCore, QtNetwork,
QtXml, and QtSql, and others) and builds on them. This lets
developers defne things instead of programming them e.g.
they only need to defne the duration and type of an anima-
tion, instead of programming it. This approach is similar to iOS
8 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QML
47
BlackBerry 10
with Core Animation. QML can even be written by experienced
Javascript developers because of its JSON-like markup.
To help developers with this new approach of UI building,
there is a tool called Cascades Builder. It is built into the QNX
Momentics IDE and lets developers design a UI using a visual
interface. When a change to the code is made, you can see the
effects immediately in the design view. The developer has no
need to program a control, he can simply use a drag and drop
approach.
If you are a designer, the Cascades Exporter
9
is for you.
This Adobe Photoshop Plugin slices and rescales your images
and packages them up to a tmz-File (compressed, sliced and
metadata enhanced image assets). These asset fles can be
easily used by a developer with the QNX Momentics IDE.
To get further information, there is a Cascades Dev Site
10

available.
HTML5 WebWorks
If you are a Web/JavaScript developer, you can use your exist-
ing skills to write apps for BlackBerry. There are two important
tools that you can use:
The frst tool is the WebWorks SDK
11
. Among other features,
it allows you to write regular webpages and then package them
as native BlackBerry apps with ease. If you want to mimic the
BlackBerry-UI style in HTML, there is a project on GitHub to
help you. It is called BBUi.js
12
and provides extensive CSS to
make your regular webpage look like a native BlackBerry-UI ap-
plication. You use data-attributes to enhance the HTML for that
approach. As an alternative for bbui.js there is also support for
9 developer.blackberry.com/cascades/documentation/design/cascades_exporter
10 developer.blackberry.com/cascades
11 developer.blackberry.com/html5/download/sdk
12 github.com/blackberry/bbUI.js
48
BlackBerry 10
jQueryMobile with a BB10 Theme. The SenchaTouch framework
13

also supports BB10.
The second tool is the Ripple Emulator
14
. It is a Chrome
Browser extension that acts as a BB10 device simulator for
WebWorks apps. It also emulates hardware-specifc features,
such as the accelerometer and the GPS sensor. You can even use
it to package and deploy your app without going through the
command-line.
It is good to know that RIM offers hardware accelerated
WebGL support and you could do debugging and profling on
the mobile device via WebInspector as a built in feature.
To get more information about developing with WebWorks
there is a HTML5 Dev micro-site
15
with more information.
Adobe Air
If you are an existing AIR develeoper you can add BB10 as a
new distribution channel. You will use the BlackBerry 10 SDK
for Adobe AIR to create applications for BlackBerry devices.
You can use the SDK with Adobe ActionScript and Adobe
Flex APIs to create/port BlackBerry Apps. These APIs provide
some unique UI components and predefned skins, as well as
listeners for events that are specifc to BlackBerry devices.
Using the Adobe Flash Builder APIs, your application can also
access the features that are unique to mobile devices, such as
the accelerometer and geolocation information. Additionally,
you can harness the features of the BlackBerry 10 Native SDK
by developing AIR Native Extensions (ANE).
To begin developing your Adobe AIR application:
13 www.sencha.com/products/touch
14 developer.blackberry.com/html5/download/ripple
15 developer.blackberry.com/html5
49
BlackBerry 10

Download and install VMware Player for Windows or VMware
Fusion for Mac

Download the BlackBerry 10 Simulator

Download the BlackBerry 10 SDK for Adobe AIR

Begin development with Adobe Flash Builder, Powerfasher
FDT or Command Line Tools
For further information, visit the dedicated website
16
.
16 developer.blackberry.com/air/
50
BlackBerry 10
Android Runtime
You can use the BlackBerry Runtime for Android apps to run
Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 platform applications on BlackBerry
10.2. To use the runtime, you must frst repackage your Android
applications in the BAR fle format, which is the fle format
required for an application to run on BlackBerry 10.
As a developer, you will need to use one of the following
tools to repackage your application. These tools also check how
compatible your application is for running on BlackBerry 10, as
some of the APIs from the Android SDK may not be supported,
or may be only partially supported on the BlackBerry platform.

Plug-in repackaging tool for Eclipse: The main advantage
of using this tool is the ability to check for compat-
ibility, repackage, debug, and run apps on the BlackBerry
PlayBook, BlackBerry Tablet Simulator, BlackBerry 10 Dev
Alpha Simulator and BlackBerry 10 device, all without
leaving Eclipse. You can also use this plug-in to sign
your application before it is distributed. If you want to
test your application without signing it, you can use the
plug-in to create and install a debug token on the target
device or simulator.

Online packager: The main advantage of the BlackBerry
Packager for Android apps is that you can use it to quickly
repackage your Android application using only your
browser. You can test the application for compatibility,
repackage it as a BlackBerry Tablet OS or BlackBerry 10
compatible BAR fle, and then sign it so that it can be
distributed through the BlackBerry App World storefront.

Command-line repackaging tools: One of the main
advantages of using the BlackBerry SDK for Android apps is
that you can use it to repackage multiple Android applica-
tions from the APK fle format to the BAR fle format. In
51
BlackBerry 10
addition, you can also use this set of command-line tools
to check the compatibility of your Android applications,
sign applications, create debug tokens, and create a
developer certifcate.
If you want to fnd out more about running Android apps on
BB10, please visit the dedicated website
17
.
BlackBerry App Generator
If you are not a developer, BlackBerry provides an easy way
of generating a simple app for BB10 with the BlackBerry App
Generator
18
. This webpage generates an app based on imput-
sources like

RSS feeds

Tumbler

Facebook

YouTube

fickr
and more. It generates a master-detail styled app that can
be customized with a logo and color selection. For a simple
news-app that approach is totally fne, but do not expect any
CNN-like masterpieces.
17 developer.blackberry.com/android
18 blackberryappgenerator.com/blackberry/
52
BlackBerry 10
Testing
BlackBerry continues to provide a simulator for BB10 handsets
as a separate download
19
. This simulator enables you to run
an app on a PC/Mac/Linux in the same way it would be run on
a real BlackBerry device. To assist with testing, the simulator
comes with a little application called controller. This utility
enables you to simulate things like setting the battery level,
GPS-position, NFC or tilting the device and thereby check how
your application reacts in real-world scenarios.
Signing
Many security-critical classes and features of the platform
(such as networking or fle APIs) require an application to be
signed so that the publisher can be identifed. This fnal step in
developing an app for BlackBerry is often painful.
If you like to test your unsigned app on a physical device,
you need to request a fle called debug token. This token
enables a specifc BB10 device to run unsigned apps. For this
setup procedure you need to request a signing fle (client-
PBDT-xxxxx.csj) via the BlackBerry Key Order Form
20
. After
receiving the fle by email you can install a debug token with
19 developer.blackberry.com/devzone/develop/simulator/
53
BlackBerry 10
the command-line tools. After this setup you can run unsigned
apps on your device. Please be advised that this needs to be
done on each device separately.
If you want to publish your app in BlackBerrys AppWorld,
you need a signing key also ordered through the BlackBerry Key
Order Form
21
. To help you with this process of setup BlackBerry
provides a step by step webpage
22
that guides you through the
process.
Distribution
As with all previous OS versions, BB10 apps are distributed
via BlackBerry World
23
. The necessary vendor account can be
created at the Vendor Portal for BlackBerry World
24
.
For paid applications, developers get a 70% revenue share.
The second option is an enterprise distribution. This let you
roll out an internal app in your organization instead of making
it publicly available to any user. This is suitable for B2B Apps.
If you want to fnd out more about enterprise distribution,
please visit the dedicated website
25
.
22 developer.blackberry.com/CodeSigningHelp/codesignhelp.html
23 appworld.blackberry.com
24 appworld.blackberry.com/isvportal
25 developer.blackberry.com/distribute/enterprise_application_distribution.html
55
Firefox OS
Firefox OS
The Ecosystem
Do we need another mobile operating system? Mozilla Founda-
tion thinks so and developed Firefox OS
1
, a Linux based
open source mobile operating system aimed at lower end
smartphones. Version 1.0 was published in February 2013, and
Mozilla promises quarterly releases of Firefox OS updates in
future
2
.
The frst Firefox OS device made available for the mass mar-
ket is the ZTE Open which is sold for 80USD and promoted for
emerging markets. Unusually, they are also being sold directly
on eBay in the UK and US, which make them easy for develop-
ers to buy and try their apps directly on shipping devices very
early in the platforms gestation.
Firefox apps are HTML-based, but instead of packaging
HTML5 web apps with tools like Phonegap, FirefoxOS uses
HTML/JavaScript/CSS as the native development languages.
This means it is pretty easy for a web developer to start writing
native apps for the system. You need to extend your knowledge
to the JavaScript API provided by Firefox OS, and to how apps
are packaged.
1 mozilla.org/frefox/os
2 blog.mozilla.org/futurereleases/2013/07/19/mozillas-heartbeat-quarterly-
frefox-os-releases/
B
Y

M
a
r
c
u
s

R
o
s
s
56
Firefox OS
Firefox OS basically consists of three main components:

Gonk: The low-level Linux Kernel and hardware abstraction
layer (HAL). In theory a hardware vendor just needs to port
the Gonk on their hardware to make it Firefox OS compat-
ible.

Gecko: The application runtime. Gecko is parsing, execut-
ing and rendering the HTML, JavaScript and CSS. All
access to the hardware needed to deliver app functionality
is handled by this runtime. It includes a networking
stack, graphics stack, layout engine, virtual machine (for
JavaScript), and porting layers.

Gaia
3
: The user interface (UI), completely written in HTML,
CSS and JavaScript. Gaia provides all UI elements needed
for standard dialogues. It interfaces with the operating
system through Open Web APIs.
Development
There two ways of creating an app for Firefox OS: Hosted apps
and packaged apps. In both cases you write code in HTML, CSS
and JavaScript. Hosted apps are basically a website. They are
easily updated but offer limited access to the web API and
need an established internet connection. Packaged apps run
locally and are essentially a zip fle containing all the apps
assets.
Unlike normal webapps, Firefox OS apps need a manifest
4
.
This is metadata for your app which defnes the name, descrip-
tion, icons and other information.
3 github.com/mozilla-b2g/gaia github.com/mozilla-b2g/gaia github.com/
mozilla-b2g/gaia
4 developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Apps/Manifest
This is a how a minimal manifest would look like:
{
name: Hel l o Wor l d,
descr i pt i on: Yet anot her . . . ,
l aunch_pat h: / i ndex. ht ml ,
i cons: {
128: i con. png
},
devel oper : {
name: Your name,
ur l : ht t p: / / . . .
},
def aul t _l ocal e: en
}
Firefox WebAPI
5
will offer you access to: vibration,
geolocation, battery status, alarm, IndexedDB, proxim-
ity sensor, ambient light sensor and the archive API. For
example you access the Battery Status simply by calling
navi gat or . bat t er y. l evel in JavaScript.
If you need more than the WebAPI provides, you can use
Activities. Mozilla is using the Object MozActivity, similar to
how Android uses Intents: The user will be asked which app he
wants to use for a certain task.
5 wiki.mozilla.org/WebAPI
58
Firefox OS
An example how to create a shortmessage:
var sms = new MozAct i vi t y( {
name: new,
dat a: {
t ype: websms/ sms,
number : +46777888999
}
}) ;
An example how to access the picture-gallery (picker):
var pi ck = new MozAct i vi t y( {
name: pi ck,
dat a: {
t ype:
}
}) ;
Simulator and Testing
Mozilla provides a downloadable simulator for Firefox OS as a
browser plugin
6
. However it is strongly recommended not to
trust the simulator too deeply: for example, it has far more RAM
than the actual Firefox devices.
6 addons.mozilla.org/en-us/frefox/addon/frefox-os-simulator/
59
Firefox OS
Distribution
Mozilla created an global AppStore called Marketplace
7
. Your
app will be reviewed according to Mozillas guidelines
8
. Once it
is published, you will get 70% of the generated revenue.
Learn More
Of course your frst resource to learn more about how to
develop your Firefox OS app will be the Mozilla Developer
network available at developer.mozilla.org. A quick introduction
including video tutorials on how to get started can also be
found at marketplace.frefox.com/developers/docs/quick_start.
Andr Fiedler also offers some useful insights for beginners in
his presentation on slideshare: slideshare.net/andrejfedler1/
doing-mobile-web-apps-for-frefox-os-the-right-way. Finally,
Mozillas developer evangelist Chris Heilmann offers a lot of
information on his blog at hacks.mozilla.org/author/cheilmann.
7 marketplace.frefox.com
8 developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/Apps/Publishing/Marketplace_review_
criteria
61
iOS
iOS
The Ecosystem
A Small History of iOS
Apple announced iOS (which was then simply referred to as OS
X, after Mac OS X, the operating system for Apples Macintosh
computer line) at MacWorld 2007 alongside the frst iPhone,
which was released, with iPhone OS 1.0, on June 29, 2007.
Ever since, Apple has released a new generation of the iPhone
accompanied by a new major release of iOS every year, at some
point between June and October. In September 2012, the
latest major release (6.0) was released.
At their World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) 2013,
Apple presented iOS7
1
which implicates a major overhaul of the
user interface and its aesthetics. While the changes in iOS 7 for
users mainly mean getting used to different looks, developers
face a lot of work getting their apps ready as apps designed for
the previous operating systems design patterns will very much
look out of place.
Devices Running iOS
Currently, Apple sells several distinct devices (in various
confgurations) that run iOS:

iPhone

iPod touch

iPad

Apple TV
1 www.apple.com/ios/ios7
B
Y

A
l
e
x
a
n
d
e
r

R
e
p
t
y
62
iOS
With the exception of Apple TV, all of those devices include
the App Store and can run 3rd party applications.
Most devices will run the most current version of iOS for two
years or more after their initial release, so developers should
consider this when planning to develop an application. Using
older hardware generally means fewer resources, such as CPU
cycles and RAM; and in some cases different display sizes and/
or screen resolutions.
A detailed list of iOS devices, their capabilities and sup-
ported iOS versions can be found on Wikipedia
2
.
Device & App Sales
According information from Apple, which are usually milestones
announced at special media events, they have sold over 600
million iOS devices through June 2013
3
. Since sales of iOS
devices are still gaining momentum, even after fve years, a
large number of those devices can be assumed to be in active
use and still running either iOS 5 or iOS 6.
The App Store currently contains over 900,000 applications
by 3rd party developers, which have collectively been down-
loaded over 50 billion times, paying out over ten billion dollars
to developers according to Apple
4
.
2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_iOS_devices
3 www.engadget.com/2013/06/10/apple-ios-devices-2013/ engadget.
com/2013/06/10/apple-ios-devices-2013]
4 digitaltrends.com/mobile/app-store-specs-wwdc-2013/
63
iOS
Technology Overview
Frameworks & Language(s)
Since iOS builds on the foundation of Mac OS X, it uses a lot of
the same frameworks and technologies, except for the Cocoa
Touch layer (which manages and draws the user interface) and
a number of other, small frameworks that are unique to either
of the systems. This makes it easy for a number of applications
to use a similar code base and just vary on the user interface,
which would have to be completely redesigned for touch
devices anyway.
Most Apple-supplied frameworks for iOS are written in
Objective-C (or supply Objective-C APIs over a different back-
end), which is a Smalltalk-inspired lightweight runtime on top
of C and retains full C compatibility. Few frameworks supply C
APIs, mostly those used for audio and video programming. The
system also supports development in C++ and Objective-C++
and includes standard frameworks for all of those languages.
Before the release of iOS, Objective-C lead somewhat a
shadowy existence with ratings as low as 0.03% in the TIOBE
index
5
, thanks to its usage almost exclusively for Apples
desktop platform, Mac OS X. In December 2007, it was only
the 57th most popular programming language and since has
made its way to number four in 2013, just behind Java and C
after winning Programming Language of the Year in 2011. Its
popularity continues to rise way more quickly than Java and C.
Over the past years, Apple has made numerous improvements
both to the Objective-C runtime and the LLVM compiler to
add new features to the language, such as automatic memory
management, blocks (a form of closures) and automatically-
5 www.tiobe.com/index.php/content/paperinfo/tpci/index.html
64
iOS
synthesized properties, most of which are improvements
developers directly beneft from by having to write less code.
On their developer website
6
, Apple provides a plethora of
resources for iOS developers, including software downloads,
training videos, getting-started guides, documentation, sample
code and forums.
Most of these resources contain very valuable information,
such as the Human Interface Guidelines, which every developer
should have read.
Xcode and Alternatives
For iOS (and Mac OS X) development, Apple supplies its own
suite of developer tools, completely free of charge, including
the following applications:

Xcode: integrated development environment

Instruments: performance analyzer running on top of
DTrace

Dashcode: development environment for Dashboard
widgets (Mac OS X) and other HTML-related content

iOS Simulator: simulates an iOS environment for quick
testing
A commercial alternative IDE to Xcode is JetBrains AppCode
7
,
a Java application with various more in-depth features
than Xcode has to offer. For those who are looking to avoid
Objective-C entirely, there are complete environments such as
MonoTouch
8
, which even offer cross-platform support.
6 developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/
7 www.jetbrains.com/objc/
8 xamarin.com/monotouch
65
iOS
Getting Started With iOS Development
There are just a few requirements that are necessary to get
started with iOS development:

Intel-based Mac computer running Mac OS X 10.8/10.9

Free Apple Developer Connection membership

Xcode 4.x/5.x & iOS SDK (available for free from developer.
apple.com)
This setup will allow you to write apps and test them in the
iOS Simulator, which is included with Xcode and the iOS SDK.
This is suffcient to get started and get a general feeling for
iOS software development, but in order to actually deploy apps
to iOS devices and to the App Store, a paid membership in the
Apple Developer Connection is needed (available from $99/79
per year). A paid membership in the iOS Developer Program will
also grant access to pre-release software, such as beta versions
of upcoming versions of iOS and Xcode.
Generally, it is advisable to do as much testing as possible
on as many different devices as possible. See the section
Testing & Debugging below for more details.
Apple supplies many starting points and guides for develop-
ers eager to dive into iOS application on their website
9
. The
best document to read for newcomers to the platform is Start
Developing iOS Apps Today
10
, which gives a broad overview of
steps and skills required to develop iOS applications and links
to various in-depth articles about the entire process, from basic
setup tutorials to user interaction design guidelines.
9 developer.apple.com/library/ios/navigation/#section=Resource%20
Types&topic=Getting%20Started
10 https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/referencelibrary/GettingStarted/
RoadMapiOS/chapters/Introduction.html
66
iOS
Diving Deeper Into iOS Development
Once you have an understanding of the basic concepts of the
iOS platform, Objective-C and the Cocoa touch framework, it is
time to expand your knowledge by learning more about other
Apple-supplied frameworks and how they can help you build
outstanding iOS applications.
A great starting point to expand your knowledge is an
all-encompassing book on everything about iOS development.
Most experienced iOS developers will suggest one of Aaron
Hillegasss books, such as iOS Programming: The Big Nerd
Ranch Guide
11
. Even though books about iOS development
tend to be outdated rather quickly, thanks to an incredibly fast
development cycle, this books explains concepts that will likely
be true for a while and challenges the reader more than other
books usually do.
For those who learn better in a classroom environment, Big
Nerd Ranch also offers a vast amount of training classes
12
in
Europe and North America.
For even more in-depth literature, it might be worth
checking out the current catalogs of publishers such as
Pragmatic Programmers, Apress, Sams and OReilly. All of these
regularly publish good quality books at novice, intermediate
and advanced levels and in-depth literature about particular
frameworks.
Testing & Debugging
The iOS developer tools include support for unit testing as
well as automated user interface testing via the UIAutomation
framework. Through Xcodes command line tools, those tools
11 www.bignerdranch.com/book/ios_programming_the_big_nerd_ranch_guide_
rd_edition_
12 www.bignerdranch.com/training
67
iOS
can even be integrated into continuous integration systems for
automated acceptance testing.
There are numerous external test automation tools and
frameworks. Some are proprietary commercial offerings;
however the majority are now opensource even from commercial
companies who hope to sell services to make your automated
testing easier and more powerful. Many of the external test
automation tools require the developer to incorporate a library
into a special build of their app. The library allows the tests to
interact with your app. Be careful to keep the special builds
separate from builds intended for release to the app store,
otherwise you may have an unwelcome rejection when trying to
submit your app to the app store.
Xcode includes both gdb and lldb and will automatically use
the appropriate one based on which compiler is being used
for the application. Although the developer retains complete
control over the debugger using the prompt, Xcode offers some
user interface for often-used actions, such as setting, editing
and deleting breakpoints and viewing variables and memory
contents.
Instruments also contains various features to help develop-
ers hunt down bugs, performance bottlenecks, and memory
management problems.
As the name implies, the iOS Simulator is just thata
simulator and as such it has different runtime characteristics
than actual iOS devices, and the simulator does not emulate
a complete iOS environment. Thus, a number of issues that
will appear on real-world devices simply wont surface when
testing applications in the simulator. Fortunately, all supported
tests can be executed on actual devices, too, and Apple allows
developers to provision up to 100 iOS devices to run their
applications on for testing and demonstration purposes.
Recruiting and managing third-party software testing (if not
68
iOS
available locally in-house) are made easy through TestFlight
13

and HockeyApp
14
, both of which offer various helpful features,
such as automatic code signing, crash report collection and
in-app updating for beta testers.
Learn More
Online
Over the past few years, Dave Verwers iOS Dev Weekly
15
mail-
ing list has evolved to the point of being probably the most
important resource for any serious iOS developer. Dave compiles
the most interesting news items of the week and sends them
out each Friday.
Over the past year, Mattt Thompson build up an excellent
repository of articles on relatively unknown or even overlooked
APIs in Objective-C and Cocoa at NSHipster
16
. He continues
to publish interesting articles on a weekly basis.
Ole Begemann regularly writes a blog in which he shares his
insight on in-depth iOS development topics that usually cannot
be found anywhere else. You can subscribe to his RSS feed at
oleb.net/blog/.
Probably the biggest collection of high-quality iOS develop-
ment tutorials comes to you courtesy of Ray Wenderlich
17
and
his team. They cover a wide width of interests and topics, from
beginner-level tutorials to full-blown 3D game development.
A bunch of developers regularly post valuable information
about current developments on their blogs. One notable
13 testfightapp.com/
14 hockeyapp.net
15 iosdevweekly.com
16 nshipster.com
17 www.raywenderlich.com
69
blog is Mike Ashs
18
, on which he posts a very interesting
series of Q&As about Objective-C and Cocoa development.
A number of other great other blogs can be found through
www.planetcocoa.org.
Events
Owing to the growing popularity of iOS, there are numerous
iOS-centered conferences around the world every year, way too
many to list here. There are two notable conferences though
that deserve a mention:

Every year in June, Apple holds their Worldwide Developer
Conference (WWDC)
19
. The full-week conference in San
Francisco includes many simultaneous tracks about Mac OS
X and iOS development with sessions by Apple engineers
as well as on-hands labs, where attendees can ask Apple
engineers for advice about problems they are facing while
developing their apps.

The biggest and most successful European conference
around Mac OS X and iOS development is the NSConfer-
ence
20
, held every year around March in England.
Both of these conferences usually sell out in a matter of
days, if not hoursso plan well ahead and subscribe to alerts
about the tickets going on sale if you are planning to go to
either of those conferences.
If you are looking to connect with like-minded developers,
you can probably fnd a CocoaHeads
21
meeting fairly close to
you. Most CocoaHeads chapters are an informal group of Mac &
iOS developers getting together, sharing their experiences and
helping each other out.
18 www.mikeash.com/pyblog/
19 developer.apple.com/wwdc/about/
20 ideveloper.tv/nsconference/
21 cocoaheads.org
71
Java ME (J2ME)
Java ME (J2ME)
The Ecosystem
J2ME (offcially Java ME) is the oldest mobile application
platform still widely used. Developed by Sun Microsystems,
which has since been bought by Oracle, J2ME is designed to
run primarily on feature phones. It has been very successful in
this market segment, with an overwhelming majority of feature
phones supporting it. J2ME is also supported on Symbian and
older BlackBerry devices.
Due to its age and primary market segment, J2ME does not
fare well compared to modern smartphone platforms, such as
Android, iPhone, BlackBerry 10 and Windows Phone: it offers a
less powerful set of APIs, often runs on less powerful hardware
and tends to generate less money for developers. As a con-
sequence, J2MEs popularity in the developer community has
declined signifcantly in recent years.
So why would you want to develop for J2ME? Mainly for one
reason: market reach. In Q1 2013, almost half of the mobile
phones sold globally were still feature phones
1
. These devices
usually support Java ME. So if your business model relies on
access to as many potential customers as possible, then J2ME
might still be a great choiceespecially when you are target-
ing markets like certain African countries or India.
However, if your business model relies on direct application
sales, or if your application needs to make use of state-of-the-
art features and hardware, smartphone platforms are the better
choice.
1 www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130425006953/en/Smartphones-
Shipped-Q1-2013-Feature-Phones-Industry
B
Y

O
v
i
d
i
u

I
l
i
e
s
c
u
72
Java ME (J2ME)
Prerequisites
To develop a Java ME application, you will need:

The Java SDK
2
(not the Java Runtime Environment) and
an IDE of your choice, such as Eclipse Pulsar for Mobile
Developers
3
, NetBeans
4
with its Java ME plug-in or Intel-
liJ
5
. Beginners often chose NetBeans.

An emulator, such as the Wireless Toolkit
6
, the Micro
Emulator
7
or a vendor specifc SDK or emulator.

Depending on your setup you may need an obfuscator like
ProGuard
8
. If you build applications professionally you will
probably want to use a build tool such as Maven
9
or Ant
10

also.

You may want to check out J2ME Polish
11
, the open source
framework for building your application for various devices.
Complete installation and setup instructions are beyond
the scope of this guide, please refer to the respective tools
documentation.
Also download and read the JavaDocs for the most important
technologies and APIs: You can download most Java-Docs from
www.jcp.org. For manufacturer-specifc APIs, documentation
2 oracle.com/technetwork/java/javame/downloads
3 eclipse.org
4 netbeans.org
5 jetbrains.com
6 oracle.com/technetwork/java/download-135801.html
7 microemu.org
8 proguard.sourceforge.net
9 maven.apache.org
10 ant.apache.org
11 j2mepolish.org
73
Java ME (J2ME)
is usually available on the vendors website (for example, the
Nokia UI API
12
).
Implementation
The Java ME platform comprises the Connected Limited Device
Confguration (CLDC)
13
and the Mobile Internet Device Profle
(MIDP)
14
. As both CLDC and MIDP were designed a decade ago,
the default set of capabilities they provide is rudimentary by
todays standards.
Manufacturers can supplement these rudimentary capa-
bilities by implementing various optional Java Specifcation
Requests (JSRs). JSRs exist for everything from accessing the
devices built in calendar, address book and fle system (JSR
75); to using the GPS (JSR 179) and Near Field Communication
(JSR 257). For a comprehensive list of JSRs related to Java ME
development, visit the Java Community Process List by JCP
Technology
15
.
It is very important to know that the JSRs you want to use
may not be available for all devices; and implementations vary
signifcantly from one phone model to another; so capabilities
available on one device might not be available on another
device, even if the two devices have similar hardware.
The Runtime Environment
J2ME applications are called MIDlets. A MIDlets lifecycle is
quite simple: it can only be started, paused and destroyed. On
most devices, a MIDlet is automatically paused when mini-
mized; it cannot run in the background. MIDlets also run in
12 www.developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/Nokia_UI_API
13 java.sun.com/products/cldc/overview.html
14 java.sun.com/products/midp/overview.html
15 jcp.org/en/jsr/tech?listBy=1&listByType=platform
74
Java ME (J2ME)
isolation from one another and are very limited in their interac-
tion with the underlying operating systemthese capabilities
are provided strictly through optional JSRs (for example, JSR
75) and vendor-specifc APIs.
Creating UIs
You can create the UI of your app in several ways:
1. Highlevel LCDUI components: you use standard UI
components, such as Form and List
2. Lowlevel LCDUI: you manually control every pixel of your
UI using low-level graphics functions
3. SVG: you draw the UI in scalable vector graphics then use
the APIs of JSR 226
16
or JSR 287
17
.
In addition, some manufacturers provide additional UI
extensions. For example, Nokias latest feature phone series
(Nokia Asha) employ either the Full Touch
18
or the Touch and
Type
19
user interface paradigms, depending on device model.
Samsung provide pinch zoom features in their latest Java ME
APIs
20
.
16 www.jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=226
17 jcp.org/en/jsr/detail?id=287
18 www.developer.nokia.com/Resources/Library/Full_Touch/
19 www.developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/Nokia_UI_API_1.1b
20 developer.samsung.com/java/technical-docs/Multi-Touch-in-Samsung-Devices
75
Java ME (J2ME)
There are also tools that can help you with the UI development:
1. J2ME Polish
21
: This tool separates the design in CSS and
you can use HTML for the user interface. It is backward-
compatible with the highlevel LCDUI framework
2. LWUIT
22
: A Swing inspired UI framework
3. Mewt
23
: Uses XML to defne the UI
One very important aspect to consider when designing your
UI is the typical screen resolutions for Java ME devices. These
range from 176x208/220 for low-end devices to 360x640 for
high-end ones, with the most popular being 240x320. All are
very low by modern standards.
Handling so many different resolutions can be a challenge.
Your best approach is to create UI layouts that scale well
across all of them, in the same way that web pages scale well
across different browser window sizes. Creating custom UIs for
each resolution is possible, but not recommended: it is time
consuming, error prone and expensive.
The size of your applications assets, especially its graphical
assets, is also important. Assets should be optimized, in order
to keep your applications footprint minimal. This results in
greater market reach (as most devices have a limit on the
maximum application size) and cheaper downloads for users. A
great free tool for optimizing graphical assets is PNGGauntlet
24
.
Despite the platforms limitations, it is quite possible to
create great looking and easy to use Java ME user interfaces,
particularly if the tools mentioned above are used.
21 j2mepolish.org
22 lwuit.java.net/
23 mewt.sourceforge.net
24 pnggauntlet.com
76
Java ME (J2ME)
Testing
Because of the fragmentation in the various implementations of
Java ME, testing applications is vital. Test as early and as often
as you can on a mix of devices. Some emulators are quite good
(personal favorites are BlackBerry and Symbian), but there are
some things that have to be tested on devices.
Thankfully, vendors like Nokia
25
and Samsung
26
provide
subsidized or even free remote access to selected devices.
Automated Testing
There are various unit testing frameworks available for Java ME,
including J2MEUnit
27
, MoMEUnit
28
and CLDC Unit
29
; System and
UI testing is more complex given the security model of J2ME,
however JInjector
30
is a fexible byte-code injection framework
that supports system and UI testing. Code coverage can also be
gathered with JInjector.
Porting
One of the strengths of the Java environment for mobile
devices is that it is backed by a standard, so it can be
implemented by competing vendors. The downside is that the
standard has to be interpreted, and this interpretation process
can cause differences in individual implementations. This
results in all kinds of bugs and non-standard behavior. In the
following sections we outline different strategies for porting
your applications to all Java ME handsets and platforms.
25 forum.nokia.com/rda
26 developer.samsung.com
27 j2meunit.sourceforge.net
28 momeunit.sourceforge.net
29 snapshot.pyx4me.com/pyx4me-cldcunit
30 code.google.com/p/jinjector
77
Java ME (J2ME)
Lowest Common Denominator
You can prevent many porting issues by limiting the functional-
ity of your application to the lowest common denominator.
This usually means CLDC 1.0 and MIDP 1.0, or CLDC 1.1 and
MIDP 2.0 if you only plan to release your application in more
developed countries / regions.
Using the lowest common denominator approach is typically
easy: there is less functionality to consider. However, the
user experience may suffer if your application is limited in
this way. So while this approach is a good choice for simple
applicationsfor comprehensive, feature-rich applications it
is not the way to go. In this case, you might want to consider
using Java Technology for the Wireless Industry (JTWI, JSR
185) or the Mobile Service Architecture (MSA, JSR 248) as your
baseline, but be aware that these have more limited support in
the market.
Porting Frameworks
Porting frameworks help you deal with fragmentation by
automatically adapting your application to different devices
and platforms. They provide:

Client libraries that simplify development

Build tool chains that convert code and resources to
application bundles

Device databases that provide information about devices

Cross compilers to port your application to different
platforms
78
Java ME (J2ME)
For Java ME one option is J2ME polish from Enough
Software
31
(available under both the GPL Open Source license
and a commercial license) .Porting from C++ to Java ME is also
possible with the open source MoSync SDK
32
.
For more information about cross-platform development and
the available toolsets, please see the Going Cross-Platform
chapter.
Good frameworks enable you to use platform and device
specifc code in your projects, so that you can provide the best
user experience. In other words: a good porting framework does
not hide device fragmentation, but makes the fragmentation
more manageable.
Signing
The Java standard for mobile devices differentiates between
signed and unsigned applications. Some handset functionality
is available to trusted applications only. Which features are
affected and what happens if the application is not signed
but uses one of those features, is largely dependent on the
implementation.
Applications signed by the manufacturer of a device enjoy
the highest security level and can access every Java API
available on the handset. Applications signed with a carrier
certifcate are similarly trusted on devices with that carriers
public key certifcate installed.
Applications signed by JavaVerifed
33
, Verisign
34
or Thawte
35

are on the lowest security level.
31 enough.de
32 mosync.com
33 javaverifed.com
34 verisign.com
35 thawte.com
79
Java ME (J2ME)
To make matters worse, not every phone carries all the
necessary root certifcates. The result is something of a mess, so
consider signing your application only when required, that is
when deploying to an app store or when you absolutely need ac-
cess to security constrained features. In some cases an app store
may offer to undertake the signing for you, as Nokia Store does.
Another option is to consider using a testing and certifca-
tion service provider and leaving the complexity to them.
Intertek
36
is probably the largest such supplier.
Distribution
J2ME applications can be installed directly onto a phone
in a variety of ways; the most commonly used methods are
over a Bluetooth connection, via a direct cable connection
or Over-the-Air (OTA). However, app stores are probably the
most effcient way to distribute your apps. Some of the most
effective stores include:

Handmark
37
and Mobile Rated
38
provide carrier and vendor
independent application stores.

GetJar
39
is one of the oldest distributors for free mobile
applicationsnot only Java applications.

Nokia Store
40
targets Nokia users worldwide and provides
a revenue share to the developer at 70% from credit card
billing and 60% from operator billing.

Carriers are in the game also, such as Orange
41
and O2
42
.
36 intertek.com/wireless-mobile
37 store.handmark.com
38 mobilerated.com
39 getjar.com
40 publish.ovi.com
41 www.orangepartner.com/distribute
42 mobileapps.o2online.de
80
Java ME (J2ME)
Basically almost everyone in the mobile arena has announced
an app store. An overview of the available app stores (not
those selling J2ME apps alone) can be found in the WIP App
Store Catalogue
43
. Also see the separate chapter on Appstores
in this guide to learn more.
Learn More
If you want to learn more about Java ME development, below
are a few resources that might help you.
Online
As Java ME is one of the oldest mobile platforms still used, it
is easy to fnd tutorials and resources related to it, for example
those available from J2ME Salsa
44
.
In addition, there is a rich open source scene in the J2ME
sector. Interesting projects can be found via the blog at
opensource.ngphone.com.
You will also fnd fascinating projects on the Mobile and
Embedded page of java.net
45
, for example the Bluetooth project
Marge
46
.
43 wipconnector.com/appstores/
44 j2mesalsa.com
45 community.java.net/mobileandembedded/
46 marge.java.net/
Java ME (J2ME)
81
Books
Over the years, a number of good Java ME books have been
written, for example:

Beginning J2ME: From Novice to Professional by
Jonathan Knudsen and Sing Li

Pro Java Me Apps: Building Commercial Quality Java ME
Apps by Ovidiu Iliescu

Pro J2ME Polish: Open Source Wireless Java Tools Suite
by Robert Virkus, dealing with J2ME Polish development.

LWUIT 1.1 for Java ME Developers by Biswajit Sarkar,
dealing with LWUIT development
Unfortunately, due to Java MEs decreasing popularity, very
few Java ME books have been written in recent years.
Java ME (J2ME)
83
Windows Phone
Windows Phone
The Ecosystem
Since its introduction in late 2010 the Windows Phone platform
has gained high customer satisfaction ratings, even besting
the iPhone
1
, but that satisfaction has not yielded signifcant
market share. On a global scale, only 3.7% of all smartphones
ran Windows Phone in Q3 2013
2
. Reception in Europe is con-
siderably better than in the US with currently France at 9% and
UK at 8.6% leading the EU5 countries according to the Kantar
World Panel
3
. After dethroning BlackBerry, Windows Phone is
currently seen as the third ecosystem for the mobile industry.
Active Windows Phone vendors are Nokia, HTC, ZTE and
Samsung. LG has not released a Windows Phone 8 device. HTC is
rumored to drop support for Windows Phone. The Nokia Lumia
device range own around 80% of this market
4
, with low end
smartphones such as the Lumia 520 leading the pack.
In Q4 2012, Microsoft introduced Windows Phone 8 (WP8)
which shares a common core with Windows 8 and Windows
RT, the desktop and tablet OS. In 2013 two updates (GDR1
and GDR2) have been released with GDR3 being expected late
2013 and Windows Phone 8.1 in 2014. While WP7 apps run
unmodifed on WP8, the additional features and options lure
most developers directly into supporting WP 8. Starting with
1 wmpoweruser.com/q3-2012-survey-fnds-windows-phones-outscore-iphone-5-
in-customer-satisfaction
2 idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24257413
4 blog.gsmarena.com/over-80-of-windows-phone-devices-made-by-nokia
B
Y

R
o
b
e
r
t

V
i
r
k
u
s
84
Windows Phone
Windows Phone 8 you can also develop apps using C/C++ and
DirectX.
The Windows Phone Store now contains more than 170,000
apps
5
; and the average Windows Phone user now installs 51
apps
6
.
An often heard criticism is the slow development of Windows
Phone with WP 8.1 postponed to 2014. So far sharing the same
kernel with Windows 8 has not sped up the development and
while many APIs are shared between WP8 and Windows 8, port-
ing apps between these platforms require considerable effort.
A promised enthusiast program
7
that allowed power users to
install updates before carrier approval was never realized.
Implementation
Windows Phone development is undertaken in C/C++, C# or
VB.NET, using the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE or Expression
Blend
8
. Applications are created using Silverlight, principally
for event-driven applications, and DirectX, principally for games
driven by a game loop, although both technologies can be
used in a single application. For Windows Phone 7 you can
also create XNA based games. Such games still run on Windows
Phone 8, however XNA is not supported for apps that target
Windows Phone 8 only. Additionally you can create HTML 5
based apps using PhoneGap
9
, however web development is
not covered in this chapter. Last but not least you can also
5 microsoft.com/news/bythenumbers
6 phonearena.com/news/Are-the-apps-in-the-Windows-Phone-Marketplace-of-
a-higher-quality-than-the-ones-in-Google-Play-Store_id32045
7 neowin.net/news/microsoft-details-wp8-update-program-for-enthusiast-users
8 dev.windowsphone.com
9 phonegap.com
85
Windows Phone
code simple Windows Phone apps without any code using the
Windows Phone App Studio
10
.
Metro/ Modern UI
Windows Phones most obvious specifc characteristic is the
simple-to-use unique interface that focuses on typography
and content. This UI paradigm called Metro or Modern UI
11
has
been extended to the Xbox 360 and Windows 8 as well. This UI
paradigm contains the following principles:

Content not Chrome removes unnecessary ornaments and
lets the content itself be the main focus. You should also
refrain from using every available pixel, as whitespace
gives balance and emphasis to content.

Alive in motion adds depths to the otherwise fattened
out design with rich animations.

Typography is beautiful moves fonts to frst class citizens
within Metro. The Helvetica inspired Segoe font of Windows
Phone matches the modernist approach.

Authentically digital design does not try to mimic real
world object but instead focuses on the interactions that
are available to digital solutions.
You should embrace the Metro/Modern UI design principles
in your application, especially when porting over existing
apps. Designers will fnd many inspirations and information in
the Microsoft design documentation
12
. One important design
aspect is alignment of your UI elements to the standard grid
of Windows Phone. Current Silverlight design templates include
10 apps.windowsstore.com
11 wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_(design_language)
12 dev.windowsphone.com/design
86
Windows Phone
the grid, you only need to uncomment it in the XAML page
source code.
Important for the overall experience are also the live tiles,
small widgets that reside on the start screen. You can update
them programmatically or even remotely using push notifca-
tions.
Windows Phone 8 Features
New features of the Windows Phone 8.0 SDK
13
include

C/C++ support

DirectX 9_3, XAudio2 and DirectXMath Support

Interoperability between DirectX/C++ and XAML/C#

Text to speech

Speech to text and voice commands

Lock screen custom counters, icons and background images

New live tiles sizes and templates

New Nokia based maps control with offine maps, driving
and walking directions

Better camera app integration with Lenses and auto upload
background tasks

Easier video recording & more more fne grained camera
control

Wallet integration

Geo tracking in the background

Saving calendar entries

Saving contacts without user prompts

App to app or web to app communication using custom
protocols

File extension registration

Access to SD cards
13 developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/Whats_new_in_Windows_Phone_8
87
Windows Phone

Low level Bluetooth access; app to app, and app to device
communication

NFC tag reading and writing

NFC tap and share

More resolutions: 800x480, 1280x720 & 1280x768

In app purchase

Deep integration options for VOIP apps

Adding and removal of songs

Social networks: share any media

Networking: IPv6 and incoming sockets support

Company app distribution

Portable class libraries allow easy sharing of code between
Windows Phone, Windows 8 and .NET
SDK
The Windows Phone SDK is free of charge and includes
Express editions of both Visual Studio 2012 and Expres-
sion Blend, it needs Windows 8 Pro to run as the SDK uses
virtualization. While the Express editions support everything
necessary to develop for Windows Phone, many extra features
are only available in the commercial editionsmost notably
the option to create or use portable class libraries. The SDK
also includes a device emulator to run code against. The device
emulator uses hardware acceleration and features a dashboard
for location control, accelerometer simulation and more.
It is important to consider which platform you should
leverage when building your application.
88
Windows Phone
Use C# or VB & Silverlight if Use C++ & DirectX if
you want to create an event-
driven application or a casual
game.
you want to create a 2D or
3D game.
you want to use standard
Windows Phone controls.
you want to manage art assets
such as models, meshes, sprites,
textures and animations.
you want to target Windows
Phone & Windows 8; re-using lot
of code.
you want to target Windows
Phone, Windows 7/8, and Xbox
360; re-using lots of code.
While the most common scenario is to use Silverlight for apps
and DirectX for games, you can also create Silverlight games
and DirectX apps, depending on your needs. It is also possible
to host Direct3D inside your Silverlight application. This could
be used to display a 3D model inside an event-driven Silverlight
application, or to easily create stylish Silverlight-based menus
around a full DirectX game.
Codesharing with Windows 8
As both Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 share the same
kernel, there are many APIs present on both operating systems.
Note that some APIs are present but not (fully) implemented
on Windows Phone. Refer to the API documentation for details.
There are some Nuget compatibility packages available for
popular APIs such as the HttpClient
14
. The BCL package
15
even
allows you to use async and await pattern on the old Windows
Phone 7 platform.
14 nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.Net.Http
15 blogs.msdn.com/b/bclteam/archive/2012/10/22/using-async-await-without-
net-framework-4-5
89
Windows Phone
You can create libraries that are shared between several
platforms using a Portable Class Library project. Such projects
can be created in Visual Studio Professional or higher, the free
Expression editions do not support that.
You can also share code directly between projects in Visual
Studio by linking sources between projects.
MVVM
For app developers coming from other platforms the data
binding concepts of XAML will be new. For each page there
should be a view model that includes the data for that page.
The view itself only describes the UI, the actually displayed
data is populated with the data from the view model. Model
classes contain the actual data. This concept of a Model, a View
and a ViewModel (MVVM) ease the development of complex
apps considerably.
Game Engines
Thanks to the native app capabilities there are some game
engines available for Windows Phone 8, for example:

Cocos2d-x
16

Havok
17

Marmalade
18

OGRE
19

Unity 3D
20
16 cocos2d-x.org/projects/cocos2d-x/wiki/Windows_Phone_8_Environment_
Setup
17 havok.com/products/havok-windows-ecosystem
18 madewithmarmalade.com/marmaladesdk/features/take-apps-windows-
phone-8
19 ogre3d.org/2012/10/30/ogre-now-supports-windows-phone-8
20 unity3d.com/pages/windows
90
Windows Phone
Services
Push notifcations
21
are available that can also update the
live tiles of your app. You can also consider using the freely
available SkyDrive cloud space and integrate with other
Windows Live services
22
for your app. There are many third
party offerings
23
available as well.
Multitasking And Application Lifecycle
Windows Phone has a limited form of multitasking that
suspends applications in the background and allows for fast
application switching. The only processes that can be run in
the background, after an application has been left, are audio
playback, location tracking and fle transfer. Applications can
also schedule to run arbitrary code in the background at an
interval (code which is known as Background Agents). Back-
ground Agents are allowed limited use of resources and may be
stopped or skipped if the OS determines that the phone needs
to conserve resources.
Applications suspended in the background may be closed
automatically if the OS determines resources are needed
elsewhere.
To create the appearance of an application that was never
closed, Windows Phone has a well-documented application
lifecycle called Tombstoning
24
. To make Tombstoning possible,
the Windows Phone framework provides the hooks needed
to perform actions during different stages of the application
lifecycle (such as caching and restoring data and UI states).
With Windows Phone 8 there is also a new fast app resume
feature available to developers.
21 msdn.microsoft.com/library/windowsphone/develop/ff402558
22 msdn.microsoft.com/live
23 dev.windowsphone.com/en-us/featured/partners
91
Windows Phone
Testing And Analytics
You can unit test applications using the Windows Phone Toolkit
Test Framework
25
or just plain old Unit Test projects in Visual
Studio.
For behavior-driven development, the Windows Phone Test
Framework by Expensify
26
is available.
For developers wishing to collect runtime data and analytics,
there are several options. Localytics
27
and Flurry
28
provide
analytics tools and services that are compatible with Windows
Phone. Developers can also use the Silverlight Analytics
Framework
29
to connect to a variety of third-party tracking
services such as Google Analytics. There are robust performance
monitoring tools available in Visual Studio.
Distribution
Applications for Windows Phone are mainly distributed through
the Microsoft Windows Store. While application content is
reviewed and restricted in a way similar to the Apple App Store,
Microsoft provides fairly comprehensive guidelines for submis-
sion, available at App Hub
30
. Although developer tools are
provided free of charge, a paid App Hub account is necessary
to deploy software to devices and Store. Currently, a developer
account costs 99 USD for an annual subscription and includes
100 free app submissions and unlimited paid app submissions.
The fee is waived for students in the DreamSpark
31
and for the
25 nuget.org/packages/WPToolkitTestFx
26 github.com/Expensify/WindowsPhoneTestFramework
27 localytics.com/docs/sdks-integration-guides/#winphone7
28 furry.com/furry-analytics.html
29 msaf.codeplex.com
30 dev.windowsphone.com
31 www.dreamspark.com
92
Windows Phone
frst year for Nokia Publish developers. The Store also provides
for time-limited beta distribution and offers a company hub for
enterprises
32
. You can use the Windows Phone Store Test Kit
33

to test your application locally before you submit them.
For paid applications, the Windows Phone framework
provides the ability to determine if your application is in trial
mode or not and limit usage accordingly. Microsoft specifcally
recommends against limiting trials by time (such as a thirty-
minute trial) and instead suggests limiting features instead
34
.
For ad-based monetization, there are several options. Micro-
soft has their own Microsoft Advertising Ad Control
35
(currently
available in 18 countries), while Nokia
36
, Smaato
37
, innerac-
tive
38
, AdDuplex
39
and Google
40
all offer alternative advertising
solutions. For more general information about monetization,
please the dedicated chapter in this guide.
Learn More
Visit dev.windowsphone.com for news, developer tools and
forums.
The development team posts on their blog at
blogs.windows.com/windows_phone/b/wpdev or their Twitter ac-
count @wpdev. For a large collection of developer and designer
resources, visit windowsphonegeek.com and reddit.com/r/wpdev.
There are currently several built-in OS controls that are
32 msdn.microsoft.com/library/windowsphone/develop/jj206943
33 msdn.microsoft.com/library/windowsphone/develop/hh394032
35 advertising.microsoft.com/mobile-apps
36 developer.nokia.com/Distribute/NAX
37 smaato.com
38 inner-active.com
39 adduplex.com
40 developers.google.com/mobile-ads-sdk/
93
Windows Phone
not included in the Windows Phone SDK, such as context
menu, date picker, and others. Those controls are available
as part of the Phone Toolkit for Windows Phone, avail-
able at phone.codeplex.com. Other popular Windows Phone
projects include coding4fun.codeplex.com, cimbalino.org and
mvvmlight.codeplex.com. For inspecting the visual tree, bind-
ings and properties of XAML-based user interfaces at runtime,
xamlspy.com is available.
Find many video tutorials at the build conference coverage
of channel 9 at channel9.msdn.com/events/build/2013?t=
windows-phone&t=windows-phone-apps.
95
Windows 8
Windows 8
Windows 8 is Microsofts OS that runs on tablets and PCs alike.
It shares the Modern UI design philosophy with Windows
Phone. Windows 8 apps can be developed in C++, C#/VB.NET or
JavaScript. They are all frst class citizens in the ecosystem as
all programming languages have equal access to the Windows
Runtime (WinRT) APIs.
Microsoft sold 100 million Windows 8 licenses
1
so far, but PC
sales continue to decline
2
. Surface RT tablets did not fare well
with revenue less than the advertisement cost
3
. Windows RT
in general is not successful with Asus announcing
4
to get out
of the Windows RT business altogether. The free Windows 8.1
update with its 5,000 new APIs is scheduled for a October 2013
release. Initial reviews have been positive and Microsoft hopes
to please previous critics and fans alike.
The Windows Store now contains over 110,000 apps
5
and has
seen downloads of more than 250 million apps
6
. The Xbox One
game console is rumored of being compatible with WinRT apps.
Prerequisites
To develop Modern UI style apps you require Visual Studio 12
or 13 and Blend, the Express versions are available for free.
You can install Windows 8 within a virtual machine, side by
2 theverge.com/2013/7/10/4512242/pc-shipments-longest-consecutive-
decline-chromebooks-shine
3 theverge.com/2013/7/30/4572732/microsoft-surface-revenue-less-than-
write-down-advertising-costs
4 theverge.com/2013/8/9/4607140/asus-will-no-longer-make-windows-rt-
tablets
5 metrostorescanner.com
B
Y

R
o
b
e
r
t

V
i
r
k
u
s
96
Windows 8
side with your existing OS or as your main OS. Having a touch
enabled monitor helps to fne tune the user experience for
tablets, but Windows 8 work equally well when using a mouse.
Technically you also need a developer license, however this
license is automatically acquired and free of charge.
Implementation
While you may simply choose the language that matches the
know-how of you or your team, it is worth understanding the
differences in capabilities offered by the various options:
C/C++ C#/VB.NET JavaScript
WinRT yes yes yes
Silverlight/
XAML
yes yes no
HTML no (but
webview
available)
no (but
webview
available)
yes
DirectX yes yes (with
SharpDX)
no
Codesharing Legacy native
Windows Apps,
professional
Xbox, other
platforms, ...
Legacy .NET
Windows Apps,
indie Xbox,
Windows Phone
apps, ...
Websites,
HTML5 apps,
...
If you want to use DirectX with C#, you can use SharpDX.
org, anxframework.codeplex.com or game libraries based on that
like monogame.codeplex.com. As Windows Phone 8 and Windows
8 all share the same kernel, it is easy to share code between
97
Windows 8
these platforms using portable class libraries (compare the
Windows Phone chapter for details).
App Parts
Each Windows 8 app consists of several parts:

App tile represents the app on the splash screen and can
show relevant content to the user, even when your app is
not running;

Splash screen is optionally shown when your app starts;

App bar contains the context relevant actions and com-
mands;

Content area displays your app in different view states
such as full screen or snapped, compare the Views and
Form Factors section;

Charms allow the user to start interactions with the
application, compare the Application Contracts section.
The Windows Runtime APIs
The WinRT APIs are documented on msdn
7
, they contain the
usual suspects like JSON/XML parsing over geolocation, sensors,
media handling and networking APIs. But WinRT has some more
rather interesting concepts, for example:

Windows.Security.Authentication.Live: Use Windows Live
as an authentication mechanism with zero click single
sign-on
8
; share data between a users various devices,
using SkyDrive
9

Windows.Security.Authentication.Web: Integrate with web
services that use OAuth or OpenID (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
7 msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/br211369
8 msdn.microsoft.com/library/live/hh826544
9 msdn.microsoft.com/library/live/hh826521
98
Windows 8

Windows.Security.Credentials: Enables access to and
storage of passwords

Windows.ApplicationModel.Contacts: Access or provide
contacts
Application Contracts
Windows 8 features charms in each app that you can ac-
cess by sliding in from the right hand side. There are fve
charms: search, share, start, devices and settings. By
implementing contracts you can plug into these charms and
share information between apps. Declare contracts in your
Package. appxmani f est fle, then implement the required
functionality.
There are following contracts
10
:

Search searches for content in your app. You can
optionally provide search suggestions while the user
types. The relevant functionality is found in the
Wi ndows. Appl i cat i onModel . Sear ch namespace.

Share provides a way to share data between a source
and target app, by declaring a corresponding contract.
If you want your app to share data, you should make
it available in as many data formats as possible to
increase the number of potential target apps. You can use
standard formats such as text, HTML, images or create
your own formats. The share target app can optionally
return a quicklink that points to the consumed data.
For example, you can share an image with Facebook
or Flickr and get back a link. Relevant classes are in
Wi ndows. Appl i cat i onModel . Dat aTr ansf er .
Shar eTar get .

Play To plays data with connected Windows 8 certifed
10 msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/hh464906
99
Windows 8
devices, for example by streaming a video to your XBox.
Start with the Wi ndows. Appl i cat i onModel . Pl ayTo
namespace.

Settings allows the user to adjust context dependent set-
tings from anywhere within your app. Defne your settings
with the help of Wi ndows. UI . Appl i cat i onSet t i ngs.

App to App Picking allows you to open or save app
fles from within another app. Find classes in the
Wi ndows. St or age. Pi cker s namespace.
Do not duplicate charms functionality elsewhere in your app.
That will just confuse your users. Exception to this rule is
search, as Windows 8.1 has changed searching quite a lot and
mandates to include search boxes directly in the UI.
Windows 8 has many more extensions and contracts,
a full list is available at
msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/hh464906.
100
Windows 8
Views and Form Factors
Windows 8 apps can run in different layout modes
11
:

full screen is the default mode, either in landscape or
portrait orientation. Your app will use all the available
screen real estate to immerse the user completely in
Appl i cat i onLayout St at e. Ful l Scr een.

snapped and flled are modes in which apps are shown
side by side. You should change your layout accord-
ingly but maintain the state of your app and keep at
least the main functions easily acccessible, this applies
to both Appl i cat i onLayout St at e. Fi l l ed and
Appl i cat i onLayout St at e. Snapped.
To get notifed about layout changes, listen to the
Wi ndows. UI . Vi ewManagement . Appl i cat i onLayout .
Get For Cur r ent Vi ew( ) . Layout Changed event. There
you can even change the state programmatically: When
your app is in snapped mode and your user selects a
function that demands a different mode, you can call
Appl i cat i onLayout . Tr yUnsnap( ) . In Windows 8.1 there is
a much more fexible window layout system in place.
Autoscaling
Windows 8 runs on devices with different screen resolutions
and pixel densities. Depending on the resolution apps are
scaled automatically to:

1366 x 768 (100%)

1920 x 1080 (140%)

2560 x 1440 (180%)
101
Windows 8
Web developers should use SVG graphics and CSS media
queries, when possible. XAML developers can use naming
schemes for resources, so that the best ftting resource is
chosen automatically (such as image.scale-100.jpg, image.
scale-140.jpg and image-scale-180.jpg). You should also use
resources with dimensions that are multiples of 5px, so that no
pixel shifting occurs when autoscaling.
Push
You can send data and even images to your apps using the
Windows Notifcation Service (WNS)
12
. This also enables you to
update the live-tiles of your app. Using WNS is free of charge.
You can use the Windows Azure Mobile Services
13
to simplify
the implementation of a push server.
Single Sign On
Windows 8 provides user credential management services
14
and
using Microsoft Account for its user authentication. You can
leverage this to provide single sign to your apps, enabling you
to identify the user directly without further authentication
15
.
Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 provides updated and completely new APIs
16
like
low energy Bluetooth, 3D printing, new controls along with a
fexible windowing system, DirectX improvements, geofencing
and a webview that behaves nicely at last (in Windows 8 the
webview always renders on top of everything else). And lots of
more APIs...
13 windowsazure.com/develop/mobile
14 msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/br211367
16 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/bg182410
102
Windows 8
Also, the Windows 8.1 Store supports auto updates, bigger
apps, independent localization packages and the Store now
presents apps much better and improves the discoverability of
apps.
Last but not least Visual Studio 2013
17
has lots of improve-
ments such as edit and continue while debugging apps,
peeking the defnition of elements so that you dont lose the
context, a weblink for webapp to automatically synchronize
the app with several browsers at once, XAML improvements and
lots more.
17 microsoft.com/visualstudio
103
Windows 8
Distribution
Windows 8 apps can be distributed through Windows Store
18

only. The standard revenue share of 70% is increased to 80%
when your app makes more than 25,000 USD. The Windows
Store supports over 200 countries and regions and more than
100 languages, so you can have a global reach. You also can
distribute feature- or time-limited trial versions of your app,
use in app purchasing or integrate adverts. Third-party payment
providers are allowed as well.
Apps are managed by customer, not by device. So a user can
use your app across a variety of platforms, such as a desktop PC
and a tablet.
Before you sell apps, you need to obtain a Windows Store
account that costs 49 USD per year for individuals and 99 USD
for companies.
Learn More
Your starting point for Windows 8 development
is dev.windows.com, fnd design tips and tricks at
design.windows.com.
Discuss development problems on social.msdn.microsoft.
com/Forums/en-US/category/windowsapps.
Find sample code on
code.msdn.microsoft.com/windowsapps, in various
codeplex.com projects and in the end to end samples avail-
able at msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/br211375.
The roadmap for app developers provides an good overview
about planing, designing and developing Windows 8 apps at
msdn.microsoft.com/library/windows/apps/xaml/br229583.
105
Going Cross-Platform
So many platforms, so little time: This accurately sums up the
situation that we have in the mobile space. There are more
than enough platforms to choose from: Android, BlackBerry 10,
Firefox OS, iOS, Tizen, Windows 8, and Windows Phone are or
will likely be among the most important smartphone and tablet
platforms while Brew MP and Java ME dominate on feature
phones (arranged not by importance but rather alphabetically).
Most application sponsors, to quote Queens famous lyrics,
will tell the developer: I want it all, I want it all, I want it all
...and I want it now! So the choice may be between throwing
money at multiple parallel development teams, or adopting a
cross-platform strategy.
Key Differences Between
Mobile Platforms
If you want to deliver your app across different platforms you
have to overcome some obstacles. Some challenges are easier
to overcome than others:
Programming Language
By now you will have noticed that most mobile platforms
release their own SDKs, which enable you to develop apps in
the platforms supported programming languages.
However, these languages tend to belong to one of a few
families of root languages and the following table provides an
overview of these and the platforms they are supported on:
B
Y

R
o
b
e
r
t

V
i
r
k
u
s
106
Language 1
st
class citizen 2
nd
class citizen
ActionScript BlackBerry 10,
BlackBerry PlayBook
OS (QNX)
none
C, C++ bada, BlackBerry 10,
BlackBerry PlayBook
OS, Brew MP,
Symbian, Windows 8,
Windows Phone 8
Android (partially,
using the NDK), iOS
(partially)
C# Windows 8, Windows
Phone
none
Java Android, BlackBerry,
Java ME devices
Symbian
JavaScript BlackBerry PlayBook
OS, Firefox OS, Tizen,
Windows 8
BlackBerry
(WebWorks), Nokia
(WRT)
Objective-C iOS none
Cross platform frameworks can overcome the programming
language barriers in different ways:

Web Technologies

Interpretation

Cross Compilation
Most frameworks also provide a set of cross platform APIs that
enable you to access certain platform or device features, such
as a devices geolocation capabilities, in a common way. For
1 Supported natively by the platform, for example either the primary or only
language for creating applications
2 Supported natively by the platform, for example either the primary or only
language for creating applications
107
features such as SMS messaging you can also use network APIs
that are device-independent
1
.
OS Versions
Platforms evolve and sooner or later they will be version
specifc features that you want to leverage. This adds another
layer of complexity to your app and also a challenge for
cross-platform tools: sometimes they lag behind when a new OS
version is released.
UI and UX
A diffcult hurdle for the cross platform approach is created
by the different User Interface (UI) and User eXperience (UX)
patterns that prevail on individual platforms.
It is relatively easy to create a nice looking UI that works
the same on several platforms. Such an approach, however,
might miss important UI subtleties that are available on a
single platform only and could improve the user experience
drastically. It would also ignore the differences when it comes
to the platforms design philosophies: While iOS strives for
a realistic design in which apps look like their real world
counterparts, Windows Phones Metro interface strives for
an authentically digital experience, in which the content
is emphasized not the chrome around it. Another key chal-
lenge with a uniform cross-platform UI is that it can behave
differently to the native UI users are familiar with, resulting in
your application failing to work for users. A simple example is
not to support a hardware key such as the back key on a given
platform correctly. Another challenge is the uncanny valley
that results from mimicking native UI elements that look but
do not work the same. Instead of mimicking native controls you
1 www.developergarden.com/apis/
108
should either use non-native looking ones or just use the real
deal.
When you target end consumers directly (B2C), you often
need to take platform specifc user experience much more
into account than in cases when you target business users
(B2B). In any case you should be aware that customizing and
tailoring the UI and UX to each platform can be a large part of
your application development effort and is arguably the most
challenging aspect of a cross platform strategy.
Desktop Integration Support
Integration of your application into devices desktops varies a
lot between the platforms; on iOS you can only add a badge
with a number to your apps icon, on Windows Phone you can
create live tiles that add structured information to the desktop,
while on Android and Symbian you can add a full-blown desk-
top widget that may display arbitrary data and use any visuals.
Using desktop integration might improve the interaction
with your users drastically.
Multitasking Support
Multitasking enables background services and several apps
to run at the same time. Multitasking is another feature that
is realized differently among operating systems. On Android,
BlackBerry and Symbian there are background services and you
can run several apps at the same time; on Android it is not pos-
sible for the user to exit apps as this is handled automatically
by the OS when resources run low. On iOS and Windows Phone
we have a limited selection of background tasks that may
continue to run after the apps exit. So if background services
can improve your apps offering, you should evaluate cross
platform strategies carefully to ensure it enables full access to
the phones capabilities in this regard.
109
Battery Consumption And Performance
Closely related to multitasking is the battery usage of your
application.
While CPU power is roughly doubled every two years
(Moores law says that the number of transistors is doubled
every 18 months), by contrast battery capacity is doubling only
every seven years. This is why smartphones like to spend so
much time on their charger. The closer you are to the platform
in a crossplatform abstraction layer, the better you can control
the battery consumption and performance of your app. As a
rule of thumb, the longer your application needs to run in one
go, the less abstraction you can afford.
Also some platforms have a great variety of performance,
most notably AndroidAndroid devices range from painfully
slow to ber-fast.
Push Services
Push services are a great way to give the appearance that your
application is alive even when it is not running. In a chat ap-
plication you can, for example, send incoming chat messages to
the user using a push mechanism. The way push services work
and the protocols they use, again, can be realized differently
on each platform. The available data size, for example, ranges
between 256 bytes on iOS and 8kb on BlackBerry. Service
providers such as Urban Airship
2
support the delivery across a
variety of platforms.
In App Purchase
In app purchase mechanisms enable you to sell services or
goods from within your app. Needless to say that this works
differently across platforms. See the monetization chapter for
details.
2 urbanairship.com/
110
In App Advertisement
There are different options for displaying advertisements
within mobile apps, some are vendor independent third-party
solutions. Platform specifc advertisement services, however,
offer better revenues and a better user experience. Again, these
vendor services work differently between the platforms. The
monetization chapter in this guide provides more information
on this topic as well.
Cross-Platform Strategies
This section outlines some of the strategies you can employ to
implement your apps on different platforms.
Direct Support
You can support several platforms by having a specialized team
for each and every target platform. While this can be resource
intensive, it will most likely give you the best integration and
user experience on each system. An easy entry route is to start
with one platform and then progress to further platforms once
your application proves itself in the real world.
Component libraries can help you to speed up native devel-
opment, popular examples are listed in the following table.
Component Library Target Platforms
cocoacontrols.com
iOS
chupamobile.com
Android, iOS
verious.com
Android, iOS, HTML5, Windows
Phone
windowsphonegeek.com/Marketplace
Windows Phone
111
Asset Sharing
When you maintain several teams for different platforms you
can still save a lot of effort when you share some application
constructs:

Concept and assets: Mostly you will do this automatically:
share the ideas and concepts of the application, the UI
fow, the input and output and the design and design
assets of the app (but be aware of the need to support
platform specifc UI constructs).

Data structures and algorithms: Go one step further by
sharing data structures and algorithms among platforms.

Code sharing of the business model: Using cross platform
compilers you can also share the business model between
the platforms. Alternatively you can use an interpreter or a
virtual machine and one common language across a variety
of platforms.

Complete abstraction: Some cross platform tools enable
you to completely abstract the business model, view and
control of your application for different platforms.
Player And Virtual Machines
Player concepts typically provide a common set of APIs across
different platforms. Famous examples include Flash, Java ME
and Lua. This approach makes development very easy. You are
dependent, however, on the platform provider for new features
and the challenge here is when those features are available on
one platform only. Often player concepts tend to use a least
common denominator approach to the offered features, to
maintain commonality among implementations for various
platforms. Generator concepts like Applause
3
carry the player
3 applause.github.com
112
concept a step further, they are often domain specifc and
enable you to generate apps out of given data. They often lack
fexibility compared to programmable solutions.
Cross Language Compilation
Cross language compilation enables coding in one language
that is then transformed into a different, platform specifc
language. In terms of performance this is often the best cross
platform solution, however there might be performance dif-
ferences when compared to native apps. This can be the case,
for example, when certain programming constructs cannot be
translated from the source to the target language optimally.
There are three common approaches to cross language
compilation: direct source to source translation, indirectly
by translating the source code into an intermediate abstract
language and direct compilation into a platforms binary
format. The indirect approach typically produces less readable
code. This is a potential issue when you would like to continue
the development on the target platform and use the translated
source code as a starting point.
(Hybrid) Web Apps
Some of the available web application frameworks are listed
in the following table. With these frameworks you can create
web apps that behave almost like real apps, including offine
capabilities. However, be aware that the technologies have
limitations when it comes to platform integration, performance,
and other aspects. Read the web chapter to learn more about
mobile web development.
113
Web App Solution License Target Platforms
jQuery Mobile
www.jquerymobile.com
MIT and GPL Android, bada,
BlackBerry, iOS,
Symbian, webOS,
Windows Phone
JQTouch www.jqtouch.com MIT iOS
iWebKit iwebkit.net LGPL iOS
iUI code.google.com/p/iui BSD iOS
Sencha Touch
www.sencha.com/products/
touch
GPL Android, iOS
The M Project
the-m-project.org
MIT and GPL Android, BlackBerry,
iOS, webOS
Typically you have no access to hardware features and native UI
elements, so in our opinion they do not count as real cross
platform solutions: these solutions are therefore not listed in
the table at the end of this chapter.
Hybrid web development means to embed a webview within
a native app. This approach allows you to access native
functionality from within the web parts of your apps and you
can also use native code for performance or user experience
critical aspects of your app. Hybrid apps allow you to reuse the
web development parts across your chosen platforms.
ANSI C
While HTML and web programming starts from a very high
abstraction you can choose the opposite route using ANSI
C. You can run ANSI C code on all important platforms like
Android, BlackBerry 10, iOS and Windows 8/Windows Phone.
The main problem with this approach is that you cannot access
114
platform specifc APIs or even UI controls from within ANSI C.
Using C is mostly relevant for complex algorithms such as audio
encoders. The corresponding libraries can then be used in each
app project for a platform.
Cross-Platform App Frameworks
There are many cross-platform solutions available, so it is hard
to provide a complete overview. You may call this fragmenta-
tion, we call it competition. A word of warning: we do not
know about all solutions here, if you happen to have a solution
on your own that is publicly available, please let us know about
it at [email protected]. A framework needs to support at
least two mobile platforms to be listed.
Here are some questions that you should ask when evaluat-
ing cross platform tools. Not all of them might be relevant to
you, so weight the options appropriately. First have a detailed
look at your application idea, the content, your target audience
and target platforms. You should also take the competition on
the various platforms, your marketing budget and the know-how
of your development team into account.

How does your cross platform tool chain work? What
programming language and what API can I use?

Can I access platform specifc functionality? If so, how?

Can I use native UI components? If so, how?

Can I use a platform specifc build as the basis for my own
ongoing development? What does the translated/generated
source code look like?

Is there desktop integration available?

Can I control multitasking? Are there background services?

How does the solution work with push services?

How can I use in app purchasing and in-app advertisement?

How does the framework keep up with new OS releases?
115
Solution License Input Output
Akula
verivo.com
Commercial (Visual) Android,
BlackBerry, iOS
Application
Craft
applicationcraft.com
Commercial HTML, CSS,
JavaScript
Android,
BlackBerry 10,
iOS, Sym-
bian, Windows
Phone, mobile
sites
appMobi
appmobi.com
JavaScript
Collection of
cross platform
services
Codename One
codenameone.com
Commercial Java Android,
BlackBerry,
iOS, J2ME,
Windows Phone
Corona
coronalabs.com
(Corona Labs)
Commercial JavaScript Android, iOS,
Kindle, Nook
J2ME Polish
j2mepolish.org
(Enough Software)
Open Source +
Commercial
Java ME,
HTML, CSS
Android,
BlackBerry,
J2ME, PC
Flash Builder
adobe.com/devnet/
devices.html
(Adobe)
Commercial Flash Android,
BlackBerry
Tablet OS, iOS,
PC
Feedhenry
feedhenry.com
JavaScript
Android, iOS,
HTML5
Kirin/JS
kirinjs.org
Open Source JavaScript Android, iOS,
Windows Phone
116
Kony One
kony.com/products/
develop/studio
JavaScript, RSS
Android,
BlackBerry,
iOS, J2ME,
Symbian, Win-
dows Phone,
PC, Web
LiveCode
runrev.com
(RunRev)
Commercial English-like Android, iOS,
PC and Web
M2Active
service2media.com
(Service2Media)
Commercial Drag and Drop
+ Lua
Android, iOS,
Windows Phone
MobiForms
mobiforms.com
(MobiForms)
Commercial Drag and Drop
+ MobiScript
Android, iOS,
PC, Windows
Mobile
MoSync
mosync.com
Open Source +
Commercial
C/C++, HTML5/
JS
Android,
BlackBerry,
iOS, J2ME,
Symbian, Win-
dows Phone,
Windows
Mobile
NeoMAD
neomades.com
Commercial Java Android, bada,
BlackBerry,
iOS, J2ME,
Symbian,
Windows Phone
Orubase
orubase.com
Commercial ASP .NET MCV Android, iOS,
Windows Phone
PhoneGap/
Cordova
phonegap.com
(Adobe/Apache)
Open Source HTML, CSS ,
JavaScript
Android,
BlackBerry 10,
iOS, Symbian,
Windows Phone
Qt
qt.digia.com
(Digia)
Open Source +
Commercial
C++ PC, Symbian,
MeeGo and
Windows Mo-
bile, desktop
Windows, Apple
& Linux OS
Rhodes
motorolasolutions.
com/US-EN/
RhoMobile+Suite/
Rhodes (Motorola)
Open Source +
Commercial
Ruby, HTML,
CSS, JavaScript
Android,
BlackBerry,
iOS, Symbian,
Windows Mo-
bile, Windows
Phone
Titanium
appcelerator.com
(Appcelerator)
Open Source JavaScript Android, iOS,
Tizen, Mobile
Web
trigger.io
trigger.io
(Triggger Corp)
Commercial HTML5,
JavaScript
Android, iOS,
Windows Phone
webinos
webinos.org
Open Source JavaScript Android,
BlackBerry,
iOS, PC, TV
webMethods
Mobile Designer
(formerly Me-
tismo Bedrock)
metismo.com
(Software AG)
Commercial Java ME Android, bada,
BlackBerry,
brew, Consoles,
iOS, PC, Win-
dows Phone,
Windows Mobile
Xamarin
xamarin.com
Commercial C# iOS, Android,
Windows
Phone, PC
XML VM
xmlvm.org
Open Source +
Commercial
Java, .NET,
Ruby
C++, Java, Ja-
vaScript, .NET,
Objective-C,
Python
118
Cross-Platform Game Engines
Games are very much content centric and often do not need to
integrate deeply into the platform. So cross-platform develop-
ment is often more attractive for games than for apps.
Cocos 2D
cocos2d-x.org
Open
Source
C++, HTML5,
JavaScript
Android,
BlackBerry, iOS,
Windows 8,
Windows Phone
Corona
coronalabs.com
(Corona Labs)
Commercial Lua Android, iOS,
Kindle, nook
EDGELIB
edgelib.com
(elements interactive)
Commercial C++ Android, iOS, PC,
Symbian
Esenthel
esenthel.com
(elements interactive)
Commercial C++ Android, iOS, PC
GameSalad
gamesalad.com
Commercial Drag and
drop
Android, iOS, PC,
web
Gideros Mobile
giderosmobile.com
Commercial Lua Android, iOS
id Tech 5
idsoftware.com (id)
Commercial C++ Consoles, iOS, PC
Irrlicht
irrlicht.sourceforge.net
Open
Source
C++ Android & iOS
with OpenGL-ES
version, PC
IwGame
drmop.com/index.php/
iwgame-engine
Open
Source
C++ Android, bada,
BlackBerry
Playbook OS,
iOS, PC
119
Marmalade
madewithmarmalade.com
(Ideaworks3D)
Commercial C++, HTML5,
JavaScript
Android, bada,
BlackBerry 10,
BlackBerry
PlayBook OS,
iOS, LG Smart TV,
Windows Phone
Moai
getmoai.com
(Zipline Games)
Commercial Lua Android, iOS,
PC, Web
MonoGame
monogame.codeplex.
com
Open
Source
C#, XNA Android, iOS, PC,
Windows 8
Ogre 3D
ogre3d.org
Open
Source
C++ Windows 8,
Window Phone,
PC
orx
orx-project.org
Open
Source
C, C++,
Objective-C
Android, iOS, PC
ShiVa 3D
stonetrip.com
Commercial C++ Android, Black-
Berry 10, iOS, PC,
Consoles
SIO2
sio2interactive.com
(sio2interactive)
Commercial C, Lua Android, bada,
iOS, PC
Unigine
unigine.com
(Unigine corp.)
Commercial C++, Unigi-
neScript
Android, iOS, PC,
PS3
Unity3D
unity3d.com
(Unity Technologies)
Commercial C#,
JavaScript,
Boo
Android, Black-
Berry 10, iOS,
Windows Phone,
PC, consoles, web
121
Web Technologies
Web Technologies
Global mobile Internet traffc reached 15% in May 2013 and is
predicted to grow 1.5x per year. In 2010 Mary Meeker already
predicted that mobile Internet traffc would surpass desktop
usage within 5 years
1
. Her recent report
2
provides a great
overview of the main Internet trends. Some of the highlights of
the report are that mobile Internet access in China surpassed
desktop access and mobile search queries surpassed desktops in
Korea in 2012.
However, most of the countries where mobile Internet traffc
already surpassed desktop Internet traffc can be found in
emerging markets. Examples include India, Angola, Chad, Congo
and Turkmenistan. In Papua New Guinea and Sierra Leone the
difference is pretty astonishing: over 70% of the Internet
traffc in those countries is attributed to mobile devices.
3
Continuous web technology development coupled with an
increase of internet-capable devices promises a great future for
people catering to the ever-increasing mobile web audience.
1 gigaom.com/2010/04/12/mary-meeker-mobile-internet-will-soon-overtake-
fxed-internet/
2 kpcb.com/insights/2013-internet-trends
3 gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_vs_desktop-IN-monthly-201306-201307
B
Y

D
a
n
i
e
l

K
r
a
n
z
122
Web Technologies
Rough timeline of web technologies
4
The most obvious use of web technologies is to build mobile
sites and this is also the key focus of this chapter. Neverthe-
less, it is worth pointing out that web technologies are also
heavily used within web and hybrid mobile applications,
cross-platform solutions and most recently native app develop-
ment (Firefox OS). For more information on cross-platform
development and the new Firefox OS, check out the respective
chapters in this guide.
One big advantage of web technologies is that they offer the
easiest route into mobile development. For a web developer,
mobile is simply part of the web. Web technologies, such as
HTML, CSS and JavaScript have already been highly developed
for many years; however they remain, and will continue to
be, the main drivers of mobile site development. Additionally,
they are arguably also easier to learn than some of the rather
complex native languages needed for native app development.
Mobile websites and web apps make content accessible on
almost any platform with less effort in comparison to native
development for a number of platforms. This means mobile
websites automatically have a wider reach. Accordingly mobile
web development not only saves development time and cost,
4 slides.html5rocks.com/#timeline-slide
H
T
M
L
1
9
9
1
1
9
9
4
1
9
9
6
1
9
9
7
1
9
9
8
2
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
2
0
0
5
2
0
0
9
H
T
M
L

2
C
S
S
1

+

J
a
v
a
S
c
r
i
p
t
H
T
M
L

4
C
S
S
2
X
H
T
M
L

1
T
a
b
l
e
l
e
s
s

W
e
b

D
e
s
i
g
n
A
j
a
x
H
T
M
L
5
123
Web Technologies
but furthermore provides a time and cost-effective alternative
when it comes to maintenance. And being independent from
app stores allows you to offer any content you want quickly,
and without having to align it to the app stores approval
policy.
Nevertheless there are shortcomings. Web technologies
struggle to match the level of deep platform integration and
direct access to hardware features native app development
can provide. Furthermore performance of web technologies is
highly dependent on connectivity and monetization of mobile
sites can prove tricky since users expect to access mobile sites
free of charge. The most common monetization tool for mobile
sites is ad integration. Payment solutions for mobile sites
are still in its early stages and tend to be rather challenging
to implement. Existing app store monetization tools on the
contrary offer an easy set-up and a high level of security for
the end-user.
If monetization is one of the key requirements, a hybrid or
web app strategy could prove to be a good compromise. In that
case the key challenge is to combine the unique capabilities
of native and web technologies to create a truly user-friendly
product. In the cross-platform chapter of this book you will
fnd a list of available frameworks to create hybrid apps.
HTML5
The ffth version of the HTML standard promises the reproduc-
tion of features previously only available with the help of
proprietary technology. HTML5 is one of the key drivers that
makes coders consider developing mobile sites instead of native
applications. A look-and-feel close to that of apps combined
with a single code base for a number of popular devices, the
ability to access hardware of devices such as the camera and
124
Web Technologies
microphone, data storage on devices to operate mobile sites
offine and optimization of web page displays based on screen
size make HTML5 an appealing alternative to native app
development.
However HTML5 relies on browser support and exactly that
support is currently lacking. Only 60% of Internet users have
browsers that support more than 50% of HTML5s current
features
5
.
Ex-Facebook CTO Brent Taylor describes the situation as
follows:
There is rampant technology fragmentation across mobile
browsers, so developers do not know which part of HTML5
they can use. HTML5 is promoted as a single standard, but it
comes in different versions for every mobile device. Issues such
as hardware acceleration and digital rights management are
implemented inconsistently. That makes it hard for developers
to write software that works on many different phone platforms
and to reach a wide audience.
Mark Zuckerberg even went a step further, naming Face-
books HTML5 app one of the biggest mistakes if not the
biggest strategic mistake they made
6
.
Nevertheless, both Taylor and Zuckerberg believe in HTML5
in the long run. Facebook has also launched ringmark
7
which
tests web browsers for 3 rings, or levels, of support for HTML5
features which helps developers to quickly check the level of
support of various mobile (and desktop) web browsers.
ABI research estimates that mobile devices with HTML5-
compatible browsers will total 1.4 billion worldwide by the end
5 gs.statcounter.com/
6 news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57511142-93/html5-is-dead-long-live-html5
7 rng.io/
125
Web Technologies
of 2013.
8
. Operating systems will gradually increase support for
HTML5 features and browsers to increase overall adoption and
speed. Open-source platforms such as the Firefox OS, Salefsh,
Tizen and Ubuntu should also help to speed up adoption.
Furthermore, the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C) has fnally
declared HTML5 feature complete and envisions that HTML5 will
be an offcial web standard by 2014
9
.
Fragmentation Needs Adaptation
The biggest challenge of mobile site development is fragmenta-
tion. In theory all internet-enabled devices can access any
mobile site via a browser. The reality however is that develop-
ers need to adapt and optimize mobile site content to cater
to the ever increasing number of browsers and devices with
varying levels of software and hardware capabilities.
Broadly speaking there are two approaches to optimize con-
tent for mobile devices: Client-Side and Server-Side Adaptation.

Client-Side Adaptation makes use of a combination of CSS
and JavaScript running on the device to deliver a mobile-
friendly experience.

Server-Side Adaptation makes use of the server to execute
logic before it is passed on to the client.
The following section provides an overview of client-side and
server-side techniques used to make mobile sites accessible for
the majority of current and future internet-enabled devices.
8 www.abiresearch.com/press/14-billion-html5-capable-mobile-devices-in-
2013-bu
9 www.w3.org/
126
Web Technologies
Client Side Adaptation
Responsive Web Design
Responsive Web Design has been a buzzword amongst market-
ers and web developers alike. In its simplest form responsive
design consists of a fexible grid, fexible images and CSS media
queries to cater to a number of screen resolutions or types of
devices.
Unfortunately responsive design can only provide a device-
sensitive experience to a limited range of devices and lacks
sophisticated content adaptation. The same content is served
to all devices. It is not advisable as a technique to deliver
complex desktop and mobile sites.
127
Web Technologies
Pro

Pure client side adaptation ensures no impact on the
existing infrastructure

Automatic adjustment of content and layout possible
Con

The same content available on the web site will also be
available on the mobile version (visible or not).

Pageweight of the site can have a signifcant impact in
terms of performance on mobile devices

It is a general approach instead of actual mobile-friendly
device optimization (e.g. Top 5)
Progressive Enhancement
Progressive Enhancement has the capability to cater to
the full spectrum of mobile devices. A single HTML page is
sent to every device. JavaScript code is additionally used to
progressively build up functionality to an optimal level for the
particular device. As a mobile only solution the main drawback
is performance. The progressive build-up takes time to execute
and varies according to the device and network. As a desktop
and mobile solution its main drawback is that a single HTML
document is sent to all devices. A well-known framework that
makes use of progressive enhancement is jQuery Mobile
10
.
Pro

Pure client side adaptation ensures no impact on the
existing infrastructure

Progressive adjustment of content, function and layout
possible
10 jquerymobile.com/
128
Web Technologies
Con

A loss of control, since detection is handled by the browser

Browser detection is still far from perfect

Detection done client-side impacts overall performance of
the site

The same HTML page is served to all devices
Server-Side Adaptation
Device Databases
Device databases detect each device accessing the website
and return a list of device capabilities to the server. This
information is then used to serve a mobile site that caters to
the devices capabilities. Server-side adaptation is one of the
oldest and most reliable solutions. Popular device databases
include WURFL
11
and DeviceAtlas
12
. The main drawback of
device databases is that the majority is only available as part
of a commercial license.
Pro

Most commonly used solution (Google, Facebook, Amazon)

Maximum control

Device optimization possible (eg. iPhone, Samsung Galaxy...)
Con

Device Description Repositories are hardware focused

Besides the data, a detection is needed (a simple User-
Agent matching does not work)
11 wurf.sourceforge.net/
12 deviceatlas.com/
129
Web Technologies
Hybrid Adaptation
Truly the best of both worlds, the combination of client and
server-side adaptation ensures high performance thanks to
server-side adaptation and ensures that capabilities sourced
can be used to enrich the mobile experience on subsequent
visits.
Hybrid adaptation solutions are available commercially from
companies like Sevenval
13
or Netbiscuits
14
, or as community-
backed cloud solutions, e.g. FITML
15
.
Better Data Input
With small, often on-screen, keyboards entering text can be
cumbersome and time-consuming, particularly if the user
has to enter numbers, email addresses, et cetera. Thankfully
developers can easily specify the expected type of input and
smartphones will then display the most appropriate on-screen
keyboard. mobileinputtypes.com provides various clear and
concise examples.
Testing Web Technologies
How web technologies work in various mobile phones can be
tested in several ways. The simplest way is to test the web site
or web app in a variety of web browsers on mobile devices.
These would include a mix of the most popular mobile web
browsers, for example based on public data gs.statcounter.com/
#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-201207-201306. The set of
devices can be refned by analyzing data from existing web
logs, et cetera. Also, testing on various form-factors helps to
expose layout and formatting issues.
13 www.sevenval.com
14 www.netbiscuits.com
15 www.ftml.com
130
Web Technologies
In terms of automated testing, WebDriver
16
is the predomi-
nant framework. There are two complementary approaches:
1. Automated testing using embedded WebView controls in
Android and iOS
2. User-agent spoofng using Google Chrome or Mozilla
Firefox confgured to emulate various mobile web browsers
Both approaches have pros and cons:

Embedded WebViews run on the target Platform OS. They
are likely to fnd many behavioural bugs. However the
confguration is more involved and other Platform OSs are
not supported.

Spoofng can fool web servers to treat the browser as if
it came from any of a wide range of devices, including
mobile browsers not available with the embedded WebView
e.g. the Nokia Asha 201 phone. However the behaviour
and rendering is not realistic so many bugs will remain
latent, while other false positive bugs will be found that
do not actually happen on real devices.
16 seleniumhq.org/projects/webdriver/
Learn More
Online

HTML5 Rocks (great resource about HTML5 including tuto-
rials, slideshows, articles, etc.): www.html5rocks.com/en/

Breaking the Mobile Web (Max Firtman, the author
of several books about mobile web programming,
provides up-to-date news in his dedicated mobile
blog): www.mobilexweb.com/

Mobi Thinking (DotMobis resource for marketers with
insights, analysis and opinions from mobile marketing
experts): mobithinking.com/

Testing (Mobile) Web Apps:
docs.webplatform.org/wiki/tutorials/Testing_web_apps

WHATWG (The HTML communitys homepage):
www.whatwg.org/

Word Wide Web Consortium (The organization that
defnes web standards): www.w3.org/
Books

Mobile First by Luke Wroblewski

Adaptive Web Design: Crafting Rich Experiences with
Progessive Enhancement by Aaron Gustafson and Jeffrey
Zeldman

Responsive Web Design by Ethan Marcotte

Programming the Mobile Web by Max Firtman

jQuery Mobile: Up and Running by Max Firtman
133
Accessibility
Accessibility
Nearly 20% of the worlds population have some form of
disability. Accessibility has to do with creating a stellar user
experience for all of your users and enabling your app to be
used by as many people as possible.
Reasons you will want to make your apps accessible include
but are not limited to:

Implementing accessibility can often improve overall us-
ability. For instance, including speech in your app can help
blind people and also enable in-car use for drivers.

Your app may be able to tap into government funded
market sectors such as education where legislation, such
as section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the US, may
mandate an accessible solution.

Mobile platforms from Apple, Google and Microsoft leverage
their accessibility APIs for UI automation testing; so mak-
ing your app accessible can make automated testing easier.
Many of your potential users may have a disability which makes
it more diffcult for them to use mobile technology. These
disabilities include, but are not limited to, various levels of
sight or hearing impairment, cognitive disabilities, dexterity
issues, technophobia and the like. Many of these users rely
on third-party utility software to assist them in using their
device. This software is sometimes called Assistive Technology,
and includes such utilities as screen reading and magnifcation
apps. iOS includes VoiceOver
1
which is the front-runner in terms
of providing an accessible interface on mobile phones. Android
has a plug-in approach for Accessibility Software, the most
1 apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision.html
B
Y

G
a
r
y

R
e
a
d
f
e
r
n
-
G
r
a
y

&

J
u
l
i
a
n

H
a
r
t
y
134
Accessibility
common plug-in is TalkBack. Several mobile platforms include
screen magnifcation and other settings to make the user
interface more accessible.
For these users, their overall experience is affected by how
well an app works with the assistive technology.
The Accessibility APIs look for text in specifc attributes of
standard UI elements. Screenreaders such as VoiceOver and
TalkBack transform the text into spoken audio which the user
listens to. The screenreader software may also determine the
type of control and related attributes to help provide the user
with more contextual information, particularly if no text is
available.
Gestures may be affected when screenreaders are enabled.
Several screenreaders, including VoiceOver and Androids
Explore-By-Touch, enable the user to explore the screen to
fnd what an element is by touching it, before they decide to
interact with it. The changes may adversely affect how users
App
Assistive
Technologies
+
+
User Settings
=
UI
UI: the sum of various factors
135
Accessibility
can interact with your app. By testing your app with these
screenreaders you can catch these problems early, before they
affect end users. Also, you may be able to redesign the app
and pick suitable gestures that work well with and without
screenreaders being enabled.
To make your software accessible for users with disabilities,
you should follow some general guidelines. If you stick to
them, you will also give your app the best chance of interoper-
ating with assistive technology that the user may be running in
conjunction with your software:

Find out what accessibility features and APIs your platform
has and follow best practice in leveraging those APIs if
they exist.

Use standard rather than custom UI elements where
possible. This will ensure that if your platform has an ac-
cessibility infrastructure or acquires one in the future, your
app is likely to be rendered accessibly to your users

Follow the standard UI guidelines on your platform. This
enhances consistency and may mean a more accessible
design by default.

Label all images with a short description of what the image
is, such as Play for a play button.

Avoid using colour as the only means of differentiating an
action. For example a colour-blind user will not be able to
identify errors if they are asked to correct the felds which
are highlighted in red.

Ensure good colour contrast throughout your app.

Use the Accessibility API for your platform, if there is one.
This will enable you to make custom UI elements more
accessible and will mean less work on your part across your
whole app.

Support programmatic navigation of your UI. This will not
only enable your apps to be used with an external keyboard
136
Accessibility
but will enhance the accessibility of your app on platforms
such as Android where navigation may be performed by a
trackball or virtual d-pad.

Test your app on the target device with assistive technol-
ogy such as VoiceOver on the iPhone.
You can fnd a more comprehensive list of guidelines online
2
.
The BBC has also published a detailed set of guidelines
3
for
developing accessible mobile apps.
Apple and more recently Google and Microsoft, have
increased the importance of their respective Accessibility sup-
port by using the Accessibility interface to underpin their GUI
test automation frameworks. This provides another incentive
for developers to consider designing their apps to be more
accessible, which is a good thing.
Looking at the different mobile platforms more closely, it
becomes obvious that they differ largely regarding their acces-
sibility features and APIs.
Custom Controls and Elements
If you are using custom UI elements in your app, then, those
platforms that have an Accessibility API enable you to make
your custom controlls accessible. You do this by exposing the
control to assistive technology running on the device so that
it can interrogate the properties of the control and render it
accessibly.
You can get more information about this process on Android
from the Google IO 2012 presentations
4
2 slideshare.net/berryaccess/designing-accessible-usable-application-user-
interfaces-for-mobile-phones
3 bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/accessibility/mobile_access.shtml
4 youtube.com/watch?v=q3HliaMjL38 and youtube.com/watch?v=ld7kZRpMGb8
137
Accessibility
If you are a member of the Apple developer program, then
take a look at there accessibility video presentations from
WWDC 2012 and 2013 available in the iOS Developer Center.
5
Accessible Android Apps
The latest major version of Android, Version 4, brings a raft
of accessibility improvements. These include the accessibility
focus, Braille support and more. The developer documentation
has also been enhanced. Subsequent minor versions, including
4.3, continue to improve the support for accessibility. These
include new capabilities and changes in behavior for Android
Services
6
To maximise the reach of your app, including to people
using previous versions of Android:

Use standard UI controls where practical

Consider using the Support Library
7
which also includes
ways to improve the accessibility of custom views.

Make sure users can navigate your app via a trackball or
D-pad, which will give your app the best chance of being
rendered accessibly by the likes of TalkBack and other
assistive technology applications.
5 developer.apple.com/wwdc/videos
6 developer.android.com/about/versions/android-4.3.html#A11yService
7 developer.android.com/tools/support-library/index.html
138
Accessibility
For specifcs on how to use the Android accessibility API along
with details of best practice in Android accessibility, please see
Googles document entitled Making Applications Accessible
8
.
You will also fnd more examples in the training area of the
developer documentation in a section entitled Implementing
Accessibility
9
. Testing the Accessibility is also covered online
10
.
For more information about Android accessibility including
how to use the text to speech API, see the Eyes-Free project
11
.
Accessible BlackBerry Apps
If you are targetting BB OS 7.1 you will fnd extensive informa-
tion about the use of their accessibility API and many hints on
accessible UI design on their website for developers
12
.
In May 2012 Blackberry Released the BlackBerry Screen
Reader
13
for various recent BlackBerry Curve smartphones.
This is available as a free download which you may wish to use
in the testing of the accessibility of your apps.
Blackberry 10 provides various accessibility settings to
enable users to tailor their device. These include Magnify Mode,
with gestures control magnifcation and navigation around the
screen, and the ability to vary font sizes. Try using your app
with magnifcation and by varying the font size from small to
large to see how well your apps appear and how easily they
can be used. Blackberry has yet to provide information about
screenreaders or developing accessible apps for Blackberry 10.
8 developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html
9 developer.android.com/training/accessibility/index.html
10 developer.android.com/tools/testing/testing_accessibility.html
11 code.google.com/p/eyes-free
12 developer.blackberry.com/java/documentation/intro_
accessibility_1984611_11.html
13 blackberry.com/screenreader
139
Accessibility
Accessible iOS Apps
iOS has good support for accessibility. For example, iOS devices
include:

VoiceOver a screen reader. It speaks the objects and text
on screen, enabling your app to be used by people who
may not be able to see the screen clearly

Zoom This magnifes the entire contents of the screen

White on Black This inverts the colors on the display,
which helps many people who need the contrast of black
and white but fnd a white background emits too much
light

Captioning and subtitles for people with hearing loss

Audible, visible and vibrating alerts to enable people to
choose what works best for them

Voice Control and Siri This enables users to make phone
calls and operate various other features of their phone by
using voice commands.
If you are working on iOS, make sure to follow Apples accessi-
bility guidelines
14
. These guidelines detail the API and provide
an excellent source of hints and tips for maximising the user
experience with your apps.
14 developer.apple.com/library/ios/#documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/
iPhoneAccessibility
140
Accessibility
Accessible Windows Phone &
Windows 8 Apps
There are 2 development paths for writing accessible apps on
the Windows Phone/Windows 8 platform. They are XAML and
HTML 5/JavaScript.
If your app is written in C# C++ or Visual Basic, you will fnd
comprehensive information on making your app accessible in
the document Accessibility in Metro style apps using C++, C#,
or Visual Basic
15
.
If you have chosen to use HTML 5 and JavaScript, then you
will need Accessibility in Metro style apps using JavaScript
16
.
Once you have tested the accessibility of your app
17
, Micro-
soft uniquely allows you to declare your app as accessible
18
in
the Windows store, allowing it to be discovered by those who
who are fltering for accessibility in their searches.
Windows Phone 8 includes various ease-of-access settings
including: high contrast, screen magnifcation, and text size.
They apply to varying degrees to apps we develop, therefore
its worth testing our app to make sure they are as usable as
practical with these various settings.
15 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/hh452680.aspx
16 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/hh452702.aspx
17 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/hh994937.aspx
18 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/xaml/jj161016.aspx
141
Accessibility
Accessible Mobile Web Apps
Much has been written on the subject of web accessibility,
however, at the time of writing, there is no standard which
embodies best practice for accessible mobile web development.
If your app is intended to mimic a native app look and feel,
then you should follow the above guidelines in this chapter.
If you are a web content developer, then you should take
a look at the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
Overview
19
.
As support of HTML 5 is increasingly adopted on the various
mobile platforms, you might fnd it useful to take a look at the
document entitled Mobile Web Application Best Practices
20
as
this is likely to form the foundation of any mobile web applica-
tion accessibility standard that emerges in the future.
You will also fnd Relationship between Mobile Web Best
Practices (MWBP) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG)
21
a helpful resource.
19 w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag
20 w3.org/TR/mwabp
21 w3.org/TR/mwbp-wcag/
143
Enterprise Apps: Strategy And Development
Enterprise Apps: Strategy
And Development
Corporate decision makers now view mobile enterprise apps
as a strategic factor, a necessity, rather than an item on an
accountants spreadsheet. Internal enterprise apps are able to
reduce the latency of information transfer within a company.
They increase the agility of the worker by making competitive
data available at any time and anywhere. Apps can also allow
companies to engage with its customers, suppliers, and end
consumers etc. Examples of enterprise apps include feld & sales
staff software, emergency response, inventory management,
supply chain management but also B2C marketing.
It may seem an obvious thing to say, but the major risk at
the moment, is not having an enterprise mobile strategy. Busi-
ness is now looking at Mobile for All rather than limiting it to
senior management, as it may have been in the past. To enable
this the traditional IT approach of buying devices and distribut-
ing them throughout the management structure is no longer
the only enabling strategy being used; Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD) is taking hold, enabling staff to use their personal
devices to connect to the IT infrastructure, download secure
content and use enterprise apps. With the advent of BYOD, a
company exposes itself to risks which traditionally have never
been part of the corporate IT strategy. Early adoption of a well
thought out and implemented enterprise mobile strategy is key
to ensuring data is secured at all times.
B
Y

I
a
n

T
h
a
i
n

&

D
a
v
o
c

B
r
a
d
l
e
y
144
Key points for Mobile Apps in Shaping the new Business
Enterprise

Cost reduction compared to existing systems

Streamlining business processes

Competitive advantage with up-to-date data immediately
at hand

Increase employee satisfaction and effectiveness

Rapid response compared to existing processes
Enterprise Strategy
Many companies nowadays have a Chief Mobile Offcer (CMoO)
or have extended their CIO position. It is their job to co-
ordinate mobile trends and directions and to bridge the gap
between business and IT. Depending on the size and main
focus of the company, his/her job is also to either build up an
internal mobile software development team or coordinate the
cooperation with an external development agency. To make sure
that the mobile software delivers what the employees / users
want, that this is technically achievable and that everything
fts the overall company strategy, the leader might consider
setting up a Mobile Innovation Council (MIC) or Center of
Excellence (COE). This group should contain key members
such as: skilled representatives from the mobile development
team, stakeholders for mobile within the company, and most
importantly end users from various departments with expertise
in the relevant business processes.
Topics that the CMoO/CIO needs to focus on together with
the MIC/COE include:

Strategyvision and direction for the general mobile
strategy and for the apps.
145

Governance policiesBring Your Own Device (BYOD) vs.
Chose Your Own Device (CYOD) which is essentially the dif-
ference between a Mobile Application Management (MAM)
policy (BYOD) and a Mobile Device Management & Security
(MDM) policy (CYOD)

App specifcations

App roadmap

Budget planning

Acceptancesigning off the apps into production.

App deploymentearly feedback on demos and prototypes,
testing, mass deployment

Incentiveshow to promote the adoption of mobile.
In commercial adoption terms Enterprise app development
is still in its infancy, and as such one of the main hurdles a
company writing third party enterprise apps, or a development
manager keen to adopt an internal enterprise strategy will
face is the requirement for a business need. The most common
question is likely to be This all sounds great, but why do we
need it?, so you must be prepared to give compelling reasons
for a company to adopt a mobile strategy.
Key points when building the business case for Mobile
Enterprise Apps

Create a Visionary Plan for more mobile Apps and know
how they will aid and shape your enterprise

Create an ADS (Application Defnition Statement) for each
App, specifying purpose and intended audience.

Create a Budget for devices

Create a plan for an Application & Device Management
Strategy & Security Infrastructure.

Create a plan for an App Dev Team using a future proof
Development Platformsuch as a MEAP/MADP
146
Mobilizing Existing Systems
If you are already providing a system to customers which has
not yet been mobilized, you will have various decisions to
make. It is critical to fully understand the impact of adding a
mobile offering to your system before you start implementation
of the solution. Common reasons to mobilize your product can
include using phone features, such as camera and GPS, or just
the ability to capture information on the move, without being
connected to the internet. You must ensure you go mobile
for the right reasons, as the ongoing support, maintenance
and development of a mobile offering will become a separate
product roadmap to your original system and will carry an
on-going cost.
Key points when deciding how to mobilize an existing
system

Clearly defne the reasons for going mobile and ensure
that those reasons are strong enough to take the step into
mobile

Understand the difference between mobile and desktop.
Do not just copy your existing system, so for instance,
instead of a form to capture information, you could capture
audio and upload that into your system, allowing a user to
quickly makes notes without the need to type into a small
device

Do not try and implement all the features of your existing
system; implement the important features in a way which
suits mobile

Ensure you understand which devices your clients use and
which features of your system are most required to be
mobilized
147

Have a clearly defned mobile testing strategy which covers
cross platform testing and multiple device types and
operating systems
Device And Application Management
In The Enterprise
When developing an enterprise app, you should always keep in
mind that the hardware containing sensitive company data can
get lost or stolen. There are now two approaches for securing
devices, content and apps. Mobile Device Management (MDM)
and Mobile Application Management (MAM).
MDM gives an enterprise ultimate control over a device, so
when a device is lost, stolen or an employee leaves, taking the
device, the enterprise can wipe the device and essentially stop
the device from working. This approach is usually taken when
an enterprise owns the device so all the data and apps on the
device are owned by the company; any personal data stored on
the device is stored at the employees risk.
MAM enables an enterprise to adopt BYOD as it allows an
enterprise to secure apps and content downloaded to a device
without taking ultimate control away from the owner of the de-
vice. When an employee leaves a business, taking their device
with them, the business can disable the enterprise apps and
wipe any content downloaded to the device without affecting
personal data, such as photos and consumer bought apps. Most
MDM and MAM solutions are cross platform, supporting Apple,
Android, Windows and BlackBerry devices, and this should
always be taken into consideration when deciding upon an MDM
or MAM provider.
Various security features are available through both these
management solutions, including:
148

Device monitoring

License control

Distribution via an internal Over-The-Air (OTA) solution

Software inventory

Asset control

Remote control

Connection management

Application support & distribution
Security measurements include

Password protection

On-device data encryption

OTA data encryption

Remotely lock devices

Remotely wipe data

Re-provision devices

Back-up data on devices
Examples of MDM and MAM providers are:

Airwatch
1

App47
2

Apperian
3

Good
4

Microsoft
5

MobileIron
6

Mocana
7
1 air-watch.com
2 app47.com
3 apperian.com
4 good.com
5 microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windowsintune/explore.aspx
6 mobileiron.com
7 mocana.com
149
Mobile Enterprise Application Platforms
(MEAP/MADP)
Usually, one key element of enterprise applications is data
synchronization. The mobile devices have to be refreshed with
relevant or up to date data from the companys servers and the
updated or collected data has to be sent back. The scope of
data access is determined by the job responsibilities of the user
as well as by confdentiality policy. In any case synchronization
has to be secure, as corporate data is one of your most prized
assets. Furthermore, a company-wide accepted app will be
multi-platform.
To compensate the shortcomings of the native SDKs as well
as the common multi-platform solutions in these regards, you
might want to consider evaluating Mobile Enterprise Applica-
tion Platform or Mobile Application Development Platform
(MEAP/MADP) solutions. MEAPs/MADPs are mobile develop-
ment environments that provide the middleware and tools for
developing, testing, deploying and managing enterprise apps
running on multiple mobile platforms with various existing
back-end datasources. Their aim is to simplify development and
reduce development costs, where skills must be maintained for
multiple platforms, tools and complexities, such as authentica-
tion and data synchronization.
Available solutions include:

Amp Chroma by Antenna
8

IBM MobileFirst Platform
9

Kony KonyOne
10
8 www.antennasoftware.com
9 www.ibm.com/mobilefrst/us/en/why-ibm-for-mobile/platform.html
10 www.kony.com/products
150

SAP Mobile Platform
11

Spring Mobile Solutions
12
Security In Enterprise Apps
One of the main functions of any IT department is to ensure
that all aspects of the company infrastructure is secured
against attack so that there are no data leaks and no data is
compromised or stolen. As mobile devices are an extension
of a companys IT infrastructure, all Enterprise apps must be
designed to ensure that they cannot be used to illegally gain
access to a companys internal network. As an Enterprise
app writer you will usually be asked to conform to standards
which a company has laid out in their security policies, so be
prepared to answer questions about securing your app, such as
data encryption, network communication and dealing with jail
broken or rooted devices.
Many MDM and MAM providers actually enhance app security,
using techniques such as app wrapping or providing an SDK
which app writers can use. These features, and regular updates
of these platforms, allow an enterprise to lock down their
apps remotely and also keep up with the changing security
landscape without needing to invest as much time and effort
into security.
11 www.sap.com/mobileplatform
12 www.springmobilesolutions.com
151
Key points for securing Enterprise Apps

If using an MDM or MAM provider ensure they have the
security required security features to meet your enterprise
standards.

When storing any data on the device ensure it is encrypted.

When communicating with web services, always use https.

In addition to using https, when communicating with web
services ensure you perform end point checking in both the
app and the web service to confrm that the server/device
you are connecting with is valid.

Always check that any settings your app is packaged with
have a checksum to ensure that the values cannot be
changed once shipped to the device.

Do not allow the app to run on jail broken or rooted
devices.

Have a method for disabling the app if the app detects
that it has been compromised.

Ensure that all use of encryption complies to export
regulations and any laws relevant to the region/s the app
is being used in.
153
Mobile Analytics
Mobile Analytics
Our apps are used remotely by people we may never meet.
Mobile Analytics can help us to discover how your app is being
used so we can improve future releases of the app. Over half of
the top mobile apps already include mobile analytics
1
.
We are spoilt for choice, at least 20 companies offer a
smorgasbord of mobile analytics solutions with multiple
favours ranging from campaign tracking to improving software
quality. Blackberry even promote mobile analytics for both the
older Java-based platform
2
and in version 10.2 of their newer
platform
3
. Many include extra features such as crash reporting,
customer and revenue tracking. Nearly half offer opensource
implementations of their libraries, possibly to allay fears of how
their libraries behave? Read on for tips and guidance to help
you understand how mobile analytics can help you discover
how your app is being used. You will learn how to pick an
appropriate solution and to implement it into your app.
Getting Started
Many providers of mobile analytics solutions offer a Getting
Started section where you learn how to take your frst steps
with their products. Examples include Flurry
4
and KISSmetrics
5
.
Generally you need to register before you can usefully use any
1 blog.velti.com/mobclix-index-the-when-where-what-of-apps,
static.usenix.org/event/sec11/tech/slides/enck.pdf
2 github.com/blackberry/WebWorks-Community-APIs/tree/master/Smartphone/
Analytics
3 devblog.blackberry.com/2013/08/discover-whats-coming-in-the-blackberry-
10-2-sdk/
4 support.furry.com
5 support.kissmetrics.com/getting-started/overview
B
Y

J
u
l
i
a
n

H
a
r
t
y
154
Mobile Analytics
of the products as they need confguring with a unique key for
your app.
Consider several of the potential solutions before commit-
ting to any of them. Read the documentation and example
code to see how easily you can implement it into your app.
And check the legal agreements, including privacy. Then pick
at least one of them so you can experiment with implementing
mobile analytics into your app. By integrating their code you
are likely to learn much more about what you would like to
achieve by using mobile analytics in your app, and how mobile
analytics works in practice.
For multi-platform apps we probably want consistency of
analytics reporting; otherwise we may be trying to compare
dissimilar, or even disparate, data sets; particularly if different
mobile analytics solutions are used for the various platforms.
Consider picking a common solution that supports every
platform you want to launch your app on.
Two providers are well worth studying. Segment.io
6
abstracts
a wide range of other mobile analytics offerings; and they
provide their code as opensource at github.com/segmentio
where they demonstrate ways to implement tracking cleanly
in ways that reduce the effort needed to adapt to different
analytics providers. Count.ly
7
provide opensource implementa-
tions of their server as well as of their client libraries and
they encourage you to create a complete test environment to
evaluate their product.
Be aware, some mobile analytics solution providers may
use data reported by your app and they may provide and sell
it to others. They may control the life of that data, which
means they could make it inaccessible to you; conversely they
may preserve and use it long after you have retired your app.
6 segment.io/
7 count.ly/
155
Mobile Analytics
Also if there is personally identifable information in the data,
there may be additional legal and privacy implications. So it is
worth considering how third-parties will use and share the data
reported via their software and APIs.
Deciding What To Measure
What would you like to measure, to understand, about how the
app is being used? Some suggestions for you are:

Key usage events: What are the key features of your app
mostly used?

Business-centric events: Any interaction of the user
that generates revenue for you: How often do your users
purchase the premium version of your app or other items
offered within your software? When do they cancel orders
or discard their shopping cart before checking out?

Usability metrics: Where do your users get stuck in the
usage fow? Do they quickly reach their goal when using
your software?
Once you defned your main areas of interest, you will need to
design the analytics measures, for instance, what data elements
need to be reported.
Defning How To Measure
Create meaningful names for your interaction events so you
can easily and correctly remember what they measure. For each
event you want to record, decide what elements it needs to
include. Consider how the data will be used once it has been
gathered, for instance sketch out typical reports and graphs
and map how the various data elements will be processed to
generate each report and graph.
156
Mobile Analytics
Also remember to address globalization issues such as the
timestamp of each element. Does the app detect the time of an
event according to the devices location, the devices settings
or does it use a global time like UTC time
8
?
Some of the Mobile Analytics solutions will automatically
record and report data elements to the server. It is worth
checking what these elements are, how and when they are
reported, and how they are formatted. Then you can decide
whether you want to use and rely on these automatically-
reported elements.
Custom event tags augment predefned events, and many
mobile analytics solutions provide ways for your app to gener-
ate them. You may need to format the custom event messages.
If so, pay attention to encoding of the elements and separa-
tors; for instance they may need to be URL encoded
9
when they
are sent as REST messages
10
.
You may want to think about how often the app should
report events and reduce the risk of fooding the available
capacity of the analytics system, which might affect the
reliability and accuracy of the delivered analytics data.
One method to reduce the volumes of data processed
by the analytics solutions is called sampling. Adam Cas-
sar published an interesting blog post on this topic at
periscopix.co.uk/blog/should-you-be-worried-about-sampling/.
8 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time
9 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Percent-encoding
10 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/live/hh243648
157
Mobile Analytics
Adjusting Your Code
You may need to declare additional capabilities required in
order for the mobile analytics to function correctly when
integrated with your app.
For Android these are known as permissions. The analytics
probably need Internet permissions so the events can be
reported online, and location-centric permissions if the solution
records the location of the phone. If your app already uses the
permissions, you do not need to specify their use again.
For iOS, UI Requi r edDevi ceCapabi l i t i es tells iTunes
and the App Store what device-related features the app needs.
It is implemented as a dictionary where the elements are speci-
fed using keys. Keys include wif, location-services and gps.
For Windows Phone, capabilities are used to decide what the
app uses. Localytics has a quickstart guide online
11
that in-
cludes an example of setting the I D_CAP_I DENTI TY_DEVI CE
capability.
Handling the Results
There is a lag from when an app sends an analytics event to
when the information is processed and made available to you.
The lag, or latency, varies from near real-time to many hours.
You, and your business sponsors, need to decide how long you
can afford to lag real-time events.
Some analytics solutions provide an API to allow you to
access the data. This may give you more greater scope to create
custom reports. Several allow you to host the servers which
provides you greater control of the data and how it is used.
To evaluate the quality of the results some organizations
invest the extra effort of incorporating several analytics solu-
11 localytics.com/docs/windows-phone-7-integration/
158
Mobile Analytics
tions into their app and cross-reference the results. However,
two conficting results do not make reconciliation easy, so it
may be necessary to use three sets of results to diagnose the
differences by triangulation
12
.
If you have decided to work with KISSmetrics,
check out their article on ways to test your metrics at
support.kissmetrics.com/getting-started/testing-km.
Privacy
Remember to explain to the end-users that the app is designed
to record and share information about how the app is being
used, ideally in your terms and conditions. You may need or
want to enable users to decide if they want their use of the
app to be tracked. If so, make it easy for the user to control
the settings; and consider providing the user a way to access
the recorded data, delete it, or contact the analytics solution
provider.
Providers of third-party libraries seem to have a range
of attitudes to privacy. Some claim the privacy of users
is paramount and stresses the importance of not tracking
users. Google Analytics clearly prohibit tracking personally
identifable information in their terms of service
13
. Others
provide examples, including snippets of source code, that
demonstrates how to record clearly personally identifable data.
For instance, KISSmetrics provides the following code snippet
[ [ KI SSMet r i csAPI shar edAPI ] i dent i f y:
@name@emai l . com]
14
. And mixpanel provides an example of
how to update a users People Analytics record
15
12 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation_(social_science)
13 google.com/analytics/terms/us.html
14 support.kissmetrics.com/apis/objective-c
15 mixpanel.com/docs/people-analytics/android
159
Mobile Analytics
There are several places to learn more about privacy and ethics
of working with data related to users, e.g.:

Jeff Northrops blog post on Mobile Analytics
16

Kord Davis book Ethics of Big Data
Learn More
We hope this chapter has whetted your appetite to learn more
about Mobile Analytics. Here are some places to start your
ongoing research:

The Mobile Developers Guide to the Parallel Universe, a
sister book to this one, covers Mobile Analytics from a
marketing perspective. Available as a pdf download at
www.wipconnector.com

thenextweb.com/dd/2013/08/11/9-tools-to-help-
you-measure-mobile-analytics/ is another useful spring-
board into the topic from a developers perspective.

kontagent.com/resources/ provides a wide range of
whitepapers, on-demand webinars and other materials
on mobile analytics, probably worth reading regardless of
which implementation you choose.
16 jnorthrop.me/2012/07/2/privacy-considerations-mixpanel-people-analytics/
161
Implementing Rich Media
As many standards as handsets is a truism when it comes
to the list of supported media formats on mobile phones.
In contrast to PCs, where most audio and video formats are
supported or a codec can easily be installed to support one,
mobiles are a different story. To allow optimization for screen
size and bandwidth, specifc mobile formats and protocols
have been developed over the past few years. Small variations
in resolution, bit rate, container, protocol or codec can easily
cause playback to fail, so always test on real devices.
That said, most of todays smartphones support MP4 h.264
640x480 AAC-LC, however multiple variations are possible
among handsets, even within one vendor or frmware version.
New formats are still added every year, such as WebM/vp8
1
, an
open video standard running on Android 4+ in an attempt to
become the html5 standard (But not supported by Apple yet).
Below are the recommended full screen formats for highest
compatibility:
1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VP8
B
Y

M
i
c
h
e
l

S
h
u
q
a
i
r
162
Container mp4, 3gp, avi (BlackBerry only),
wmv (Windows Phone + BB10
only)
Protocol HTTP (progressive or download)
or RTSP (streaming)
Video H.264, H.263
Audio AAC-LC, MP3, AAC+
Classic Resolutions 176x144 (Older phones),
320x240, 480x320 (J2ME)
Common Resolutions 480x800, 640x480 (Blackberry),
960x640 (iPhone), 1024x768
(iPad 1+2), 2048x1536 (iPad
3+4)
HD Resolutions 1280x720 (BB10, Samsung,
Windows Phone 8), 1136x640
(iPhone 5)
Full HD 1080x1920 (HTC One, Samsung
Galaxy S4)
For a detailed list of devices supporting HD resolutions visit
Wikipedia
2
Streaming vs. Local Storage
There are two options to bring media content to mobile
devices: Playing it locally or streaming it in real time from a
server.
To stream content through relatively unstable mobile
networks, a specifc protocol called RTSP was developed that
solves latency and buffering issues. Typical frame rates are 15
fps for MP4 and 25 fps for 3gp, with data rate up to 48 kbps
2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mobile_phones_with_HD_display
163
for GPRS (audio only), 200 kbps for Edge, 300 kbps for 3G/
UMTS/WCMDA and 500 kbps for Wi-Fi and 4G. HD-video starts at
2Mbps and is not recommended for streaming yet.
Apples open source Darwin streaming server
3
can serve
streaming video and audio with the highest level of compat-
ibility and reliable RTSP combined with FFMPEG
4
and is always
a good choice to stream 3gp or mp4 fles.
When targeting Windows Mobile/Phone, Windows Media
Services
5
is preferred to support HTTP streaming. Android 3.0
upwards also supports HTTP streaming. Note that atomic hint-
ing is required (see Progressive Download) and mp4 fles are
very strict in encoding (use H.264 15 fps AAC-LC 48khz stereo).
Only HTC Android devices and Android 4.0 devices are less
strict in streaming formats and will play much more encoding
variations than other brands.
When streaming is not available on the phone, blocked by
the carrier or you want to enable the user to display the media
without establishing a connection each time, you can of course
simply link and download the fle. This is as easy as linking to
a download on the regular web, but mobile phones might be
stricter in checking for correct mime types. Use audio/3gp or
video/3gp for 3gp fles and video/mp4 for mp4 fles.
Some handsets simply use the fle extensions for data
type detection, so when using a scriptsuch as download.
phpa well-known trick is to add a parameter such as
downl oad. php?dummy=. 3gp to ensure correct processing of
the media. Some phones cannot play 3gp audio without video,
but a workaround is to include an empty video track in the fle
or a still image of the album cover.
3 dss.macosforge.org
4 www.ffmpeg.org
5 technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsserver/dd448620.aspx
164
Depending on the extension and protocol, different players
might handle the request. On some phones, like Android, mul-
tiple media players can be available and a popup is displayed
to allow the user to select one.
Finally you can simply include media fles in your mobile
app as a resource. On Android devices pay attention to support
media located on the SD-Cards (Android 3.1 and up) which re-
quires the andr oi d. per mi ssi on. READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE
permission.
Progressive Download
To avoid confguring a streaming server, a good alternative is
to offer progressive downloads, for which your media fles can
be served from any web server. To do this, you have to hint
your fles. Hinting is the process of marking several locations in
the media, so a mobile player can start playing the fle as soon
as it has downloaded a small part of it (typically the frst 15
seconds). Note: an mp3 fle does not need hints, and cannot
be hinted.
Possibly the most reliable open source hinting software
available is Mp4box
6
.
6 gpac.wp.institut-telecom.fr/mp4box/
165
Media Converters
To convert a wide variety of existing media to mobile phone
compatible formats FFMPEG is a must have (open source)
media format converter. It can adjust the frame rate, bit rate
and channels at the same time. Make sure you build or get
the binary with H263, H264, AAC and AMR encoder support
included. There are good converters available based on FFMPEG,
such as Super from eRightSoft
7
. For MAC users, QuickTime pro
(paid version) is a good alternative to encode and hint 3gp and
mp4 fles. If you are looking for a complete server solution with
a Java / opensource background, check out Alembik
8
.
7 www.erightsoft.com/super
8 www.alembik.sourceforge.net
167
Implementing Location-Based Services
Implementing
Location-Based Services
Location based services are one of the hot areas for mobile
applications. While nearly nobody has yet proven that offering
position and heading information in itself to be lucrative,
apps which contain a geographically-aware component lead to
more relevant services, which in turn may contribute to greater
revenue. Knowing a users location means you can deliver more
relevant information; helping users to fnd a nearby veggie
restaurant also taking into account the local weather forecast,
fnding where friends are located at a convention, or helping
users fnd most scenic local bike routes as crowdsourced by
other bikers. Of course, getting location data is only half the
story, and providing the user with a meaningful representation
is a key factor in many apps. This usually implies delivering a
graphical representation overlaid with routes, points-of-inter-
est, et cetera. Yet, a comprehensive list of resources assorted
by proximity, can many times be more fruitful than a scrollable,
slow map view when roaming at fve euro per megabyte. Luck-
ily, modern location-based services often work silently in the
background sparing the end-user of the gory details.
How To Obtain Positioning Data
Location-based applications can acquire location information
from several sources; via one of the phones available network
connections, GPS satellites, short range systems based on
visible tags or local short range radio, or old-school by inputing
data via the screen or keyboard.
B
Y

A
l
e
x

J
o
n
s
s
o
n
168

Network positioning: Each GSM or UMTS base station
carries a unique ID, containing its country code, network
id, fve-digit Location Area and two-digit Routing Area.
The coordinates of a base station can then be obtained
by looking up the operators declaration in a database.
This information is not particularly accurate in terms of
pin-pointing our exact location and depends on the cell
size (base station coverage): Cells are placed more densely
in urban areas which provides greater accuracy than in
rural areas. Techniques, such as measuring the difference
in the time-of-arrival of signals from several nearby base
stations (known as multilateration) can help improve ac-
curacy, while telephony providers charge for these premium
network services. For phones with WiFi capabilities, lists of
known wireless LAN access points are used by companies,
including Google.

GPS positioning: An on-board GPS module (or an external
one) typically gives you a 50% accuracy ranging from 5 to
50 meters, depending on the quality of the hardware and
how many satellites the GPS module fnds in the sky at any
given time. Accuracy is also affected by the terrain, canopy
and wall materials; any of these may obscure the satellite
signals: In cities, urban canyons created by clusters of tall
buildings can distort the signal, giving false or inaccurate
readings. Combining GPS with network positioning is
increasingly common: Assisted GPS, or A-GPS, uses an
intermediary, called an Assistance Server, in order to mini-
mize the delay to the frst GPS fx. The server uses orbital
data, accurate network timing and network-side analysis
of GPS information. However, A-GPS does not mean a more
accurate position, but rather a faster result when the GPS
is initially enabled, or when GPS satellite coverage is poor.
This shortens the time needed for a location lock. Note:
169
most A-GPS solutions require an active cellphone network
connection.

Short range positioning: Systems based on sensors;
near feld communication (NFC), Bluetooth and other
radio-based tag systemsuse active or passive sensors
in proximity to points of interest, such as exhibits in a
museum or stores in a shopping mall. Low-tech solutions
include bar codes and other visual tags (such as QR codes)
that can be photographed and analyzed on a server or
locally on the phone; such tags may contain an id from
which a position can be looked up.
The user can specify their position by selecting a location on a
map, inputting an area code or a physical address. This option
is used typically for applications on feature phones, which may
lack other means of determining a location.
Mapping Services
In general, a map service takes a position and a bunch of
metadata as input parameters and returns a map, also layered
with contextual metadata. The map itself can be in the form
of one or more image bitmaps, vector data or a combination of
both. Vector data has several advantages over bitmaps: vector
representations consumes less bandwidth and enables arbitrary
zooming from space into your face. However it requires more
processing on the client side. Bitmaps are often provided in
discrete zoom levels, each with a fxed magnifcation, named
after its coordinates.
170
Free maps, both served as bitmaps and vectors, include Open
Street Map
1
or CloudMade
2
. Commercial maps include Garmin
3
,
Microsofts Bing resources
4
to name a few.
Some solutions, such as Google Maps
5
, are free when your
application is made available at no cost, but require you to
obtain a map key. Other map services, such as Googles static
maps, are limited to serving a number of tiles to a map key or
IP address. Several of the sources share similar map formats
and are thus interchangeable.
Implementing Location Support
Location API for Java ME offers detail such as the latitude and
longitude position, the accuracy, response time, and altitude
derived from the on-board GPS as well as speed based on
performing consecutive readings.
With iOS there is integrated support for location but with
restrictions on how the location data can be generated by
the supporting functions, and what map sources can be used.
Currently, there is also an on-going debate on how location
data is recorded and stored on the iOS devices and how Apple
are planning to use this data for their own purposes. Android
developers also have access to high-level libraries and these
devices are more liberal with the choice of map sources,
although they default to Googles map APIs. On Windows Phone
7 and Windows 8 devices, note that the all new Maps API in
Windows Phone 8 is not the same as Bing Maps available in
1 wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Software
2 www.cloudmade.com
3 garmin.com
4 www.microsoft.com/maps/developers
5 code.google.com/apis/maps
Windows Phone 7. The Bing Maps control is still supported in
Windows Phone 8, but is deprecated.
Ever since iOS 3.x and Android 2.0, Web app developers
have been able to access geoinformation via the navigator.
geoposition interface, e.g calling navi gat or . geol ocat i on.
get Cur r ent Posi t i on( my_handl e) gives you the op-
portunity to fetch the my_handl e. coor ds. l at i t ude and
my_geo_handl e. coor ds. l at i t ude, after given permission
from the user and satellites are available. As an example, heres
how an actual snippet example could look using js syntax:
f unct i on i ni t _geol ocat i on( ) { / / e. g. cal l ed
/ / f r oma r eady( ) or onLoad f unct i on
navi gat or . geol ocat i on. get Cur r ent Posi t i on( get _
geol ocat i on, pr ocess_er r or s) ;
}
f unct i on pr ocess_er r or s( er r or ) {
swi t ch( er r or . code) {
case er r or . PERMI SSI ON_DENI ED:
al er t ( user not shar i ng geol ocat i on) ;
br eak;
case er r or . POSI TI ON_UNAVAI LABLE:
al er t ( coul d not cal cul at e cur r ent
posi t i on) ;
br eak;
case er r or . TI MEOUT:
al er t ( r et r i evi ng posi t i on t i meout ) ;
br eak;
def aul t :
al er t ( mi sc. geol ocat i on er r or ) ;
br eak;
}
}
172

f unct i on get _geol ocat i on( posi t i on) {
al er t ( Lat i t ude: + posi t i on. coor ds. l at i t ude
+ Longi t ude: + posi t i on. coor ds. l ongi t ude) ;
}
Instead of failing, an error can be combined with fallbacks
to network lookups, entering zip codes et cetera. Apart from
the bare coordinates, geographical data often is presented with
other information, available in a number of formats. One of the
widely accepted standards is called geoRSS, and could look like
this for a single point-of-interest:
<ent r y>
<t i t l e>Byvi ken s f or t r ess</ t i t l e>
<descr i pt i on>Swedi sh 1900- cent ur y ar my
i nst al l at i on, w. deep mot e</ descr i pt i on>
<geor ss: poi nt >18. 425 59. 401</ geor ss: poi nt >
</ ent r y>
There are other formats for geodata, but the basic idea is
similar; by harmonizing data streams and webservices, robust
mashups can be created to run seamlessly in various user con-
texts. Other important formats for geoinformation include the
Geography Markup Language (GML), an XML encoding specif-
cally for the transport and storage of geographic information,
and KML which is an elaborate geoformat used in Google Earth
and related web services.
Tools For LBS Apps
Several companies provide developer-friendly tools and APIs
as a value added service. Using these dramatically speeds up
the development and deployment of location-aware services.
Each tool normally focuses on one or a lesser range of mobile
platforms. Advertisement companies like Admob offer develop-
ers a stand-alone location aware advertisement program, to
better target their offerings, while there are no map interfaces
to be seen, just the coordinates sent and hopefully advertise-
ment in return.
Below are more links to maps and location based service
resources:

Android offine maps project
6

BlackBerry
7

Garmin Mobile XT SDK
8

Google Map resources
9

Nutiteq
10

Nokia Maps
11

TeleAtlas
12

Windows Phone 8 Maps and Navigation
13

6 code.google.com/p/big-planet-tracks/
7 us.blackberry.com/developers/ (search for map api)
8 developer.garmin.com
9 developers.google.com/maps
10 www.nutiteq.com
11 developer.here.net
12 developerlink.teleatlas.com
13 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop/jj207045
175
Near Field Communication (NFC)
Near Field Communication
(NFC)
Near Field Communications (NFC) has been around for a couple
of years now and has been ever popular, especially within the
Android community. This stems from the fact that Android
smartphone manufacturers include the NFC chip with every
new iteration of their hardware. Initially, NFC was hailed as
very-promising since it gave the smartphone the ability to
securely replace a physical wallet. This was a convenience that
people were ready to pay for. Also, according to Gartner, Inc
1
,
worldwide mobile payment transactions values will increase by
44% in 2013 compared to 2012.
Brief overview of NFC under the hood
NFC is an evolution of Radio Frequency Identifcation (RFID)
technology, which has been in operation since the early 90s
2
.
NFC extends the capabilities of RFID and at the same time
maintains backward compatibility with the older technology.
For years, RFID has been used mainly for tracking objects
and for simple tap-to-pay payment purposes. NFC technology,
however, allows more than just payments to be made.
NFC is an interface and protocol built on top of RFID that
is targeted at mobile devices. The technology operates on un-
licensed ISM (Industry Scientifc Medical) of 13.56 MHz which
limits the range of operation to 3 cm or touch and provides
the mobile devices with a means of secure communication
without any network confguration. This is an added bonus over
Bluetooth, which requires pairing for a communication to work.
1 gartner.com/newsroom/id/2504915
2 nearfeldcommunication.org/history-nfc.htm
B
Y

S
h
a
i
l
e
n

S
o
b
e
e
n
176
NFC functions by electromagnetic induction. When the
electromagnetic waves in a coil changes, a voltage is induced.
From a hardware perspective, a series of high and low voltages
represent bits. This is how packets are sent between devices.
In 2006, the NFC Forum, which oversees the NFC ecosystem, de-
fned the NFC Specifcations. The Forum established a standard
for the NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF), a light-weight binary
message format that encapsulates data. For instance, to encode
a URI they have a 5 byte header and can be as short as about
12 bytes to transmit a short URL. More information can be
found online
3
.
Advantage of NFC over Bluetooth
4
:
1. Security: NFCs short range of operation is actually an
advantage. Some smartphone implementations require the
screen to be active and that the PIN be entered before
access to NFC hardware is allowed.
2. Low power consumption: Due to the small range of opera-
tion, only a weak electromagnetic feld has to be generated
to write to or read NFC tags.
3. Quick pairing: NFC devices are able to connect within a
tenth of a second.
3 www.developer.nokia.com/Community/Wiki/Understanding_NFC_Data_
Exchange_Format_(NDEF)_messages and www.nfc-forum.org/specs/
4 nearfeldcommunication.org/bluetooth.html
177
NFC Modes of operation
5
1. Reader/Writer mode: In this mode, the smartphone acts
as a reader. The smartphone generates electromagnetic
felds to read NFC tags. It is only possible to write to an
NDEF message on an NFC tag if the tag is not read-only.
2. Peer-to-Peer mode: This is a major extension to RFID
technology. In P2P mode, two smartphones are able to
exchange small amounts of information, such as vCards,
URLs or initiate a Bluetooth connection for large data
transfers. Android Beam typically functions in P2P mode
where a user-invisible pairing takes place with NFC,
and data transfer takes place over the faster Bluetooth
connection.
3. Card Emulation Mode: Card emulation mode is, by far,
the most interesting mode of operation. In this mode, the
smartphone acts as a passive NFC tag. Card emulation mode
is crucial for payment purposes in which sensitive informa-
tion is stored on a secure element (more below). Google
Wallet and Microsoft Wallet are examples of applications
that allow an NFC-equipped smartphone to be used for
tap-to-pay purposes and rely on card emulation. As of
now, the latest Android version (Jelly Bean) does not have
public APIs for Card Emulation mainly because there is not
yet a standard for the NFC ecosystem. (See section Current
Diffculties).
5 nfc.cc/technology/nfc
178
The Secure Element
At the heart of any card-emulated device lies the secure
element
6
that contains the secure data (credit card information
amongst others
7
). As of now, there are three possible locations
where the SE can be stored:
1. On the SIM/UICC (via Single Wire Protocol, a specifcation
that allows a connection between the SIM card and the
NFC chip).
2. Inside the phones NFC Chip.
3. On an SD Card.
As a side note, Google Wallet
8
stores only credentials of a
Google prepaid credit card on the secure element of the phones
NFC chip. Only the Google credit card numbers are passed
to merchants while actual credit card numbers are stored on
secure Google servers. Microsoft Wallet on the other hand
stores sensitive element on the secure element of the SIM card.
According to Microsoft, such a method allows people to swap
their wallets from one phone to another.
Around the world, a growing number of credit institutes and
Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are cooperating to deploy
payment methods that use NFC. MasterCard PayPass and VISA
PayWave are examples of such deployed solutions. NFC SIM
cards are currently being issued by MNOs such as A1 (Austrian),
France Orange and China mobile.
6 nearfeldcommunication.com/developers/nfc-architecture
7 smartcardalliance.org
8 www.google.com/wallet/faq.html www.google.com/wallet/faq.html
179
Current uses of NFC
1. Read/Writer mode: Basic RFID functionality involving an
NFC tag. The tags can be used for numerous purposes (e.g
defning profles for a smartphone, hold some amount of
data such as a URL or a contact information, amongst
others).
2. P2P, involving two NFC-enabled smartphones: Pairing,
Exchange of data.
3. Card Emulation: Ticketing, Payments, Switching operations
(e.g opening a door), replacement of cards (health insur-
ance cards, credit cards, driving license, amongst others).
Current diffculties
NFC is an exciting technology that will bring about more
economic transactions. However, before we see a widespread
deployment of payment methods using NFC, a full understand-
ing and cooperation among all banks, hardware manufacturers,
MNOs and operating system developers is necessary.
Also, some major phone manufacturers, have not yet
adopted NFC technology. Current Apple devices, for instance,
do not support NFC. The company has decided to rely on the
Passbook application which has a completely different mode of
operation compared to NFC-centric applications.
Furthermore, the secure element has limited storage space.
It is not clear how this space should be shared among all the
players.
Lastly, because of the lack of accepted standards, some
banks have deployed their own solutions and want to convince
merchants to accept their new mode of payment.
180
Implementation of NFC
Android: As from API Level 9 (Gingerbread 2.3), Android
provided a set of high-level APIs that makes use seamlessly
easy. More information can be found on the Android developer
page
9
.
BlackBerry: The latest SDK also provides high level APIs
for NFC purposes. Example code for implementing an NFC tag
reader and writer
10
and further information on how to use card
emulation mode on BlackBerry
11
can be found on BlackBerrys
websites.
Windows Phone 8: The WP8.0 SDK provides the Proximity
packages which provides a set of classes that provides the
necessary APIs to enable P2P data sharing between WP8
applications. It is also possible to transfer small packets of
data from an Android device to a WP8 device and vice-versa. As
of now, the implementation is still in its infancy and it is not
possible to transfer large amount of data.
More implementation details can be found online
12

9 developer.android.com/reference/android/nfc/package-summary.html
10 docs.blackberry.com/en/developers/deliverables/34480/Near_Field_
Communication_1631111_11.jsp
11 supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Java-Development/NFC-Card-Emulation-
Primer/ta-p/1596893
12 msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop/jj207060
182
Implementing Haptic Vibration
Implementing
Haptic Vibration
Haptic Vibration Design Considerations
Why should you use Haptic vibration effects to your app? Your
app will run just as well without the tactile feedback, right?
Yes, possibly, but you will lose the one sensory element that
makes your virtual environment more realistic and compelling.
Margaret Atwood once wrote, Touch comes before sight, before
speech. It is the frst language and the last, and it always tells
the truth. It is this sense of touch feedback, more than sight
or hearing that teaches us what to expect from interactions in
the real world.
It is our experiences in the real world that defne a users
expectiations in the virtual world found in your apps.
Take a button press as an example. A real button press is
a very tactile experience. It has a beginning and an end. You
feel a satisfying confrmation of your action. In comparision,
a virtual button press feels hollow without a Haptic effect to
simulate that same confrmation of action. More than this,
without a Haptic tactile confrmation you force the user to rely
on visual/audio cues that are more stressful to process than
simply using our sense of touch.
Haptic feedback is even more important in mobile video
games. We know this from our experience with console games.
Remember when the Sony PS3 launched without DualShock
rumble pad motors? Gamers voiced their dissatisfaction and
shortly after Sony brought the DualShock rumble feedback
to the PS3. The same Haptic feedback satisfaction applies to
B
Y

B
o
b

H
e
u
b
e
l
183
mobile games. Using Haptic effects in your games will help to
give your mobile users what they already expect from console
platforms. And if you design well, your games will feel more
realistic and compelling to your users.
When designing a Haptic experience, keep in mind the
ultimate experience of the user. Spend some time planning
before starting your Haptic implementation. Once the project is
defned and taking shape in your mind, consider the following
guidelines:

Simple sensations are often the most effective. It is
sometimes surprising to realize that something like a very
simple Pop or Click sensation can enhance menu interac-
tions and increase user confdence within the application.

Sensations synchronized with audio and visual events,
like a simple button click event, make the whole greater
than the sum of its parts. Seeing, hearing, AND feeling an
object or activity promotes sensory harmony in a way just
seeing and hearing alone cannot.

It is bad to annoy the user. Poorly chosen or designed
touch sensations can be annoying and counterproductive.
While a high-pitched buzz may be very effective as part
of an alert, continuous reoccurring buzzing will eventually
cause a user to leave an application annoyed.

It is bad to confuse and overwhelm the user. Just as too
many beautiful sounds played simultaneously become a
cacophony, too many compelling touch sensations played
together or too close to each other in time and space can
become confusing and overwhelming.

Familiarity eases the user experience. Haptic effects can
relay important information to a user, which might not be
available or practical to provide through graphics or sound.
Standardization and consistency are important. Limiting
184
the Haptic effect language to a manageable, reused set of
sensations makes the users learning process easier because
there are fewer Haptic effects to recognize.
Nearly all mobile platforms allow for some form of haptic
vibration feedback control. This section will be your resource
for understanding the classes and methods between these
platforms.
Android
Android is unique for vibration control. It provides native
support and has more vibration control than iOS. Furthermore,
there are ways to extend this Android vibration control for
developers so they can create more console-like X-Box or
PlayStation feedback experiences. But whether you use the
basic or extended methods below, please note that a user may
have enabled haptic effects for better accessibility. For instance
the KickBack Accessibility Service provides haptic feedback and
is available as part of the eyes-free
1
open source project. So,
consider how haptic effects generated by your application may
interact with, or disturb, such services.
For basic vibration control in Android, you must frst
grant permission andr oi d. per mi ssi on. VI BRATE
to allow your application to vibrate. Next you use the
Vi br at or Class
2
with get Syst emSer vi ce function and the
Cont ext . Vi br at or _Ser vi ce to call the vibration service.
Within the above method you can vary the duration of the
vibration event in milliseconds and set vibration patterns by
setting up as many of start and sleep events as you like. The
basic Android vibrate control method only lets you control the
duration of vibration events.
1 code.google.com/p/eyes-free
2 developer.android.com/index.html#q=Vibrator
185
Extended Android Vibration Control
Because the Android platform is open source, there is at least
one company that offers free methods to extend Androids
vibration control. Immersion Corporations Haptic SDK
3
allows
full vibration motor control of duration, amplitude and pulsing
frequency with a library of 124 pre-defned Haptic vibration
feedback effects. With this type of control, application develop-
ers have the capability of designing vibration effects rivaling
console gaming vibration experiences while also conserving
battery power.
For Android developers using Unity3D, Marmalade or YoYo
Games GameMaker Studio, Immersion offers this same extended
method through plugin support, also found on their main SDK
webpage. Developers interested in this extended vibration
control can download the companys Quick Start Guide
4
that
explains how to set-up your Eclipse environment and use the
Launcher method to call Haptic effects from the pre-defned
library. On Google Play you can also download a few free
showcase apps to feel the pre-designed Haptic effects before
using them in code. One app is called Haptic Muse and the
other Haptic Effect Preview app.
One other bonus of the pre-designed effect library is a
hardware abstraction layer compensating for differences in
motor types between mobile devices, so the feeling you create
remains consistent.
BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry gives you the same basic on/off vibration
control that Android does, but without an extended
method. For BlackBerry you use the Vi br at i onCont r ol l er
3 www.immersion.com/haptic/sdk
4 www.immersion.com/haptic/guide
186
Class
5
with st ar t Vi br at e( i nt dur at i on) and
st opVi br at e( i nt dur at i on)
In addition, Blackberry now has an i nt ensi t y (1-100)
parameter for developers to play with.
Firefox OS
Mozillas Firefox Mobile uses a web view API that allows
for single or patterned vibration arrays in the form of a
wi ndow. navi gat or . vi br at e function call
6
with millisecond
duration parameters. Patterned vibration arrays use alternating
on and off vibration durations. For example, the patterned array
wi ndow. navi gat or . vi br at e( ) would playback vibration for
1 second, pause for 200 milliseconds and then play vibration
for an additional 2 seconds. Zero value duration or empty array
vibration events cancel any currently running vibration.
iOS
iOS may have the least amount of vibration documentation for
developers as Apple currently gives developers little vibration
control for their devices. The iOS vibration method below ap-
plies to iPhones only. iPads and iPods currently do not support
vibration playback.
Use the SysSoundVi ewCont r ol l er Class
7
with the
Audi oSer vi cesPl aySyst emSound function and the
kSyst emSoundI D_Vi br at e constant to trigger vibra-
tion on your iPhone device. Calling this constant will turn
your motor on for a set duration of about 2 seconds. Ad-
ditionally, there is an iOS AudioToolbox framework using
5 developer.blackberry.com/search/?search=VibrationController
6 developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/WebAPI/Vibration
7 developer.apple.com/search/index.php?q=SysSoundViewController
187
Audi oSer vi cesPl aySyst emSound method
8
to call a
kSyst emSoundI D_Vi br at e constant triggering a brief
vibration.
PhoneGap
PhoneGap is a web view API owned by Adobe Systems (see the
cross-platform chapter to learn more). The PhoneGap vibrate
method uses the navigator.notifcation.vibrate func-
tion call
9
with millisecond duration parameters. Since PhoneGap
works across a number of operating systems, you will need to
be sure to set vibrate permissions according to each platform.
Additionally, on iOS the PhoneGap duration parameter is
ignored and will vibrate using the iOS constant.
Tizen
Tizen, the fairly new OS supported by Samsung and Intel, has
two primary development environments
10
; one for native app
development and one for web app development using the WC3
Vibration API.

Native app developers use the Vi br at or Class
11
start
and stop methods for vibration control. The developer can
specify intensity and pulsing, by setting values in a pat-
tern array that is passed as an argument to st ar t ( ) . Each
element in the pattern array has two felds. The duration
feld says how long the vibration will play in milliseconds;
the intensity feld sets how strong the vibration will be.
Intensity values are 1-100 (min to max), -1 for System
8 developer.apple.com/search/index.php?q=AudioServicesPlaySystemSound
9 docs.phonegap.com/en/2.1.0/cordoba_notifcation_notifcation.md.html
10 developer.tizen.org/documentation/dev-guide
11 developer.tizen.org/help/topic/org.tizen.native.appprogramming/html/
guide/system/vibrator_mgmt.htm
188
Default, 0 for Silent. If you wish to render more than
one haptic effect, you add additional elements beyond
the frst in the pattern array. The st op( ) method is only
needed if you wish to terminate an effect prematurely
(e.g., because a phone call comes in).

Web app developers use the navi gat or . vi br at e( )
function call.
12
The method has two variations:
one that takes a single duration argument in mil-
liseconds si ngl eVi br at i on( i nt dur at i on) , and
one that takes an array of duration times. The
second function allows control of pulsing effects
pat t er nVi br at i on( i nt dur at i on on,
i nt dur at i on of f ) , but there is no support for the
intensity control found in the native environment.
Web/ HTML5
Like Tizen, HTML5 vibration control for web app development
relies on using the WC3 Vibration API. The same function calls
apply.
Windows 8
Windows offers a basic method for vibration control, but no
extended method at this time. Use the Vi br at eCont r ol l er
Class
13
with St ar t & St op Methods to vibrate your device mo-
tor from 0-5 seconds. For fner duration control you will need to
set a Ti meSpan method in order to use millisecond values.
The Windows 8 Class listed above is the same as the previous
Windows 7 Class.
12 developer.tizen.org/help/topic/org.tizen.web.appprogramming/html/
tutorials/w3c_tutorial/device_tutorial/managing_vibration.htm
13 social.msdn.microsoft.com/search/en-us?query=VibrateController
190
Implementing Augmented Reality
Implementing Augmented
Reality
Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that enhances the real
world by adding virtual elements. Although visual augmented
reality is the most common form, this technology can appeal
to all our senses. Added information could include: three-
dimensional objects, which blends with the actual surround-
ings; a two-dimensional overlay containing text or images; or
simply an audio fle.
The AR market is growing exponentially, according to
Research and Markets. In 2013 they predict 200 million
augmented reality users. By 2020 the global number of consum-
ers who use AR applications, is supposed to climb up to one
billion. The report predicts an annual growth rate of 95.35%,
with revenue of 5,155 million US$ by 2016.
1

AR Usage Scenarios in Mobile Contexts
Mobile AR is used in situations where additional information
can increase the effciency, effectivity and joy of use while
on the move. Mobile AR is especially suitable for applications
where people are confronted with lots of data or a heavy infor-
mation load and the need to process it in a short time period.
By integrating information into the mobile display, the users
attention no longer needs to switch between the mobile device
and the environment. Mobile Augmented Reality solutions
have plenty application areas, such as enterprise, marketing,
education or entertainment. Here are some examples.
1 All numbers from researchandmarkets.com/reports/1963197/
B
Y

M
o
s
t
a
f
a

A
k
b
a
r
i
191

AR Jump n Run: AR Jump n Run is a location based
application for Android smartphones developed with
DroidAR
2
. The game can be played both indoors and
outdoors, by either using the global positioning system
(GPS), step recognition, or both. The player walks through
a virtually-enriched world by using his Android device as
the viewport. He tries to collect/avoid 3D items that are
helpful/damaging. The game also features an in-game map
editor that allows players to create and edit maps (e.g. by
placing new 3D items) directly on their devices.

Augmented Reality Browsers: AR-browsers such as
Layar and Wikitude can superimpose the live view of the
physical, real-world environment with location-based
data. Therefore the users location is determined via GPS,
then information about nearby POIs (points of interest)
is displayed on the screen of the smartphone. Wikitude
additionally offers a connection to Wikipedia for more
information. Blippar
3
uses AR to bring adverts to life.

IKEA Catalogue App: The IKEA AR App is built by Metaio
4
.
Instead of using QR codes, which is a quite common
approach in the feld, the app relies on image recognition
software from Metaio. The user can use his mobile device
to scan special marked pages from the Ikea catalogue and
display additional information, like customization options
and further item pictures. The 2014 IKEA Catalog app for
Android and iOS will let users place virtual furniture in 3-D
directly from their phone into their home or offce
5
.
2 code.google.com/p/droidar/
3 blippar.com/
4 metaio.com
5 augmentedblog.wordpress.com/2013/07/30
192

Audi eKurzinfo: Also built by Metaio, Audi is offering a
manual for their A3 car in the form of an augmented reality
app for iOS
6
. It covers more than 300 different elements of
the car all of which are easy to identify with the phones
camera. If for example, a warning symbol comes on inside
the vehicle, the user can scan it with the app to fnd out
how to deal with the problem.
AR Developing 101
This section will give you a general introduction to the key
concepts needed to create AR applications. Once you under-
stand these concepts, you should be able to choose the right
framework for your project.
The Real And The Virtual World
AR means placing artifcial objects into the real world by
using a virtual layer. This virtual layer, or virtual world, and its
coordinate system is tied to the real world by reference points.
This reference can be a GPS position, a visual marker, or an
image. For example, a game printed on a cornfakes box could
be played anywhere in the world using a relative reference to
the cornfakes box.
These reference points are determined via tracking. Common
tracking technologies include GPS, optical sensors, compass,
accelerometer, gyroscope and step detection.
Other concepts are marker-based, markerless and hybrid
tracking. Markers are a simple, inexpensive and accurate
solution to identify objects. By processing the information
the actual size of the marker an image processing system
calculates the distance between the device and the marker.
Markerless tracking uses natural features instead of markers.
6 youtube.com/watch?v=TDTWOlbWBXI
193
These features can be two-dimensional patterns (e.g. advertise-
ment posters) or even three-dimensional surroundings (e.g.
buildings). The recorded images are compared with a database
to detect a match, which requires complex algorithms and
high processing power. Hybrid tracking technology combines
the different sources of position data, such as GPS, 3D feature
detection, marker detection and step detection. This allows a
higher positioning and motion detection accuracy.
Mapping Between The Two Worlds
For location-based AR apps a mutual mapping between the
constantly changing position in the real world and the position
in the virtual world is needed. Rendering engines like OpenGL
v1 and v2 reduce the complexity of this process and increase
speed and real-time accuracy. The engine also takes care of
matching the cameras virtual and real-world position and
guarantees fuent camera transitions when these positions
change. To make your life easier as a developer you can use
extended engines like gameplay
7
or Unity
8
As the core element, the camera data can also be passed
to other components. For example, a collision component can
easily calculate the distance between virtual objects and the
image captured by the camera.
Creating Virtual Elements
Virtual items are represented as 3D or 2D objects which might
have different behaviour logics: Some objects might be col-
lectable, others follow the user, or they may remain static and
allow no interaction at all.
To create this kind of virtual elements you need a technique
called Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (SLAM). This is
7 www.gameplay3d.org/
8 unity3d.com
194
a very powerful Computer Vision technique based on uniquely
identifable sections in an image called features. These features
are merged with the real-world in a 3D space in which the
device can move around. The created 3D cloud can also be used
for real-world object or shape detection and then augment
these. Another part of Computer Vision is image recognition.
The recognized image position can be used as the reference
position for the virtual world (compare to the example with the
cornfakes box). SLAM and Computer Vision technique require
immense computational powers to run in real time. The limita-
tions and the capabilities of the hardware have to be taken into
account.
Combining Application Layers
An important element of visual AR is to draw something over
the image received from the camera. Depending on your app
requirements, you will want to place 2D or 3D graphics and use
the respective APIs. A 2D overlay is usually suffcient for simple
POI browsers.
We strongly recommend using a rendering framework like
OpenGL, rather than re-inventing the wheel. That framework
will use the users position, device orientation, other sensor
information, or the image analysis data and translate it for
displaying your content accordingly. If the rendering compo-
nent is decoupled from the rest of the apps code it can be
exchanged in future, for instance to switch to more advanced
rendering solutions.
Maybe you want to add things like a small radar UI to visual-
ize the position of the virtual objects or some simple buttons
to interact with the virtual world. Then make sure to stick to
platform-specifc patterns and designs, furthermore implement
these elements on a separate layer to remain fexible.
195
Composing A Virtual World With Multiple Layers
The best practice for composing the virtual world is to use a
tree structure and place virtual objects in different layers: One
layer for fxed background objects which do not need to be
updated and which do not interact with the user and other
layers for movable objects or UI elements.
You should only update and render objects close to the
user and make use of the quad tree structure. A quad tree is a
data-structure which allows to obtain all objects in a bounding
box in an effcient way. Depending on the device hardware
a different view radius can be used to keep the application
performant.
We also recommend to use an update mechanism which trig-
gers the updates and calls update method e.g. every 20 ms. The
nodes in the object tree individually decide to which children
these update calls should be forwarded. A quad tree for example
will only update the objects close to the user to keep the
update procedure effcient. A basic list structure would update
all its children and is more suitable for elements which do not
have a virtual position (like logical game stats) or which have
to be updated at all. The exact object composition concept
depends on the application scenario and cannot be defned in
an universal way.
196
Augmented Reality SDKs

ARLab: ARLab provides separate SDKs for the different
tracking methods, one for 2D location and sensor based
content like POIs similar to the frst versions of Layar and
Wikitude and one to detect but not augment images with
the device camera. They are currently working on the image
detection and augmentation product and will provide a
new SDK for that as well. One point to mention is that the
SDK licences have to be purchased separately for iOS and
Android and each SDK has its own costs.
www.arlab.com/

DARAM SDK: The DARAM SDK provides tracking of images,
markers, GPS and has also a module for face tracking. It
provides a Unity extension so interactive AR scenarios
are possible. There is no concrete information about the
pricing available and all applications using the SDK have
to be licensed separately. Another important restriction
to mention is that it only runs on Android devices with
Android 4.0 or higher. So far we have seen good perfor-
mances on AR Apps built by the company itself for Desktop
and the iPad.
www.arpa-solutions.net/en/DARAM_SDK

DFusion: The DFusion SDK by Total Immersion offers 2D
feature extraction to augment images and is very similar
to other SDKs like the one from metaio, Qualcomm and
Layar. Within some SDK bundles you get face tracking and
movement detection libraries. One advantage over most
other SDKs is the free licence.
www.t-immersion.com

DroidAR: DroidAR SDK is built for the development of
interactive location-based and marker based AR Android
applications. DroidAR v1 is one of the few completely open
197
source AR SDKs and it is freely extensible. For tracking
it uses a combination of location based tracking, marker
tracking and a step detection algorithm to allow also large
scale indoor scenarios. It allows 3D position tracking via
SLAM and 3D object detection and reconstruction. A pure
OpenGL rendering solution and a free to use external 3D
rendering solution are integrated as well. To improve the
development process the AR application can be tested on
the computer in an AR simulator and is then deployed to
the smartphone. DroidAR is backed by a developer com-
munity of about 6,000 people and has been used in various
apps like the CHIO app 2013.
github.com/bitstars/droidar

Layar: In the beginning Layar was a pure location-based
AR platform with layers to fade in and with very limited
interaction possibilities for the user. Now, Layar changed
its focus on 2D feature extraction to augment images.
The new SDK and related tools (called Layar creator) are
specially designed for extending print media content. The
Layar Player SDK for iOS makes it possible build Layar
Apps which do not need the Layar browser. The SDK has
no external rendering engine integration but provides all
standard features like 3d object, video textures and virtual
buttons. It can only be used for free if advertisements are
permanently displayed to the user.
www.layar.com

metaio: The metaio SDK has its main focus on the
augmentation of 2D images e.g. in magazine or catalogs
(like the Ikea app mentioned before). The pro version of
the SDK also supports the recognition of 3D objects like
a product package, a statue or the facade of a building.
As a downside, the SDK offers very limited possibilities to
implement individual interaction scenarios. The developer
has to make a choice between 2D or 3D feature extraction
198
and location based objects and cannot combine different
tracking methods. It is possible to use the SDK for free by
always displaying a metaio watermark to the user. The SDK
has been downloaded over 50,000 times and is used in
over 1,000 apps.
www.metaio.com

PointCloud SDK: The PointCloud SDK specializes on SLAM
tracking and is currently only available for iOS. The Unity
plugin is available in a beta state. The SDK is still in an
early state but sounds promising. To use the SDK for free
the PointCloud logo has to be permanently displayed in the
application.
developer.pointcloud.io/sdk/

Vuforia: The Vuforia SDK from Qualcomm can be used for
free and has a Unity extension so it is a good choice for
image detection and augmentation scenarios. But it only
supports 2D image detection and recognizes locally stored
special images. Vuforia cannot be used to create location
based applications which use movement data or geo-
references. There are 45,000 registered developers, besides
the Vuforia SDK has been downloaded over 100,000 times.
A lot of big commercial projects are build by the Vuforia
SDK.
www.vuforia.com

Wikitude SDK: Wikitude is a location-based Point of
Interest (POI) Browser. A classic usage scenario where
Wikitude offers an adequate solution is POI search (Where
is the nearest post offce?). Wikitude is designed for static
content and does not allow interactive scenarios. If you
use newer versions to build your own Wikitude browser
app, you can also use HTML5, Titanium or Phonegap. Even
BlackBerry 10 is supported. Wikitude is available in in 32
languages and has over 13 million users world wide.
www.wikitude.com/developer
200
Application Security
Readers of this guide know how widespread smart mobile de-
vices have become and how useful mobile apps can be. Mobile
devices are also much more personal than personal computers
ever have been. People wake up with their phones, stay close
to them all day, and sleep next to them at night. Over time
they become our trusted partners.
Many of these apps take advantage of this closeness and
trust. For instance, your phone might be treated as part of the
authentication for accessing your bank account. Or your tablet
could get direct access to the online movies you have bought.
The device might even store a wallet of real money for making
payments with Near Field Communications (NFC).
Mobile apps are attracting the attention of hackers and
thieves whose interests extend well beyond getting a 99 cent
app for free. Kaspersky Lab reports that in June 2013, they
counted 100,000 malicious code samples in Android apps which
consisted of 629 malware families.
1
The historical network and
endpoint based defenses (like anti-virus tools) are not enough.
Embedding security into the mobile application is critical.
The architecture of mobile apps continues to evolve. Some
apps are native-only, and require distinctly different code bases
for each different mobile operating system. Some are web-
views, little more than a web site url wrapped in an icon. Oth-
ers are hybrids, a combination of native app functionality with
web views. Most mobile apps need to connect with backend
services using web technologies to fetch or update information.
Like web apps, classic application security needs to be used
with mobile apps. Input needs to be validated for size, type,
and values allowed. Error handling needs to provide useful
1 securelist.com/en/analysis/204792299/IT_Threat_Evolution_Q2_2013#16
B
Y

D
e
a
n

C
h
u
r
c
h
i
l
l
201
error messages to users that do not leak sensitive information.
Penetration testing of applications is needed to assure that
identifcation, authentication and authorization controls cannot
be by passed. Storage on the devices needs to be inspected and
tested to assure that sensitive data and encryption keys are
not stored in plain text. Log fles must not capture passwords
or other sensitive information. SSL confgurations need to be
tested.
Users want to use your applications safely; they do not
want unwelcome surprises. Their mobile phone may expose
them to increased vulnerabilities, for instance potentially their
location could be tracked using an inbuilt GPS. The camera
and microphone could be used to capture information they
prefer to keep private, and so on. Applications can also be
written to access sensitive information such as their contacts.
And applications can covertly make phone calls and send SMS
messages to expensive numbers.
The application developer may be concerned about his/ her
reputation, loss of revenue, and loss of intellectual property.
Corporations want to protect business data which users may
access from their mobile device, possibly using your applica-
tion. Can their data be kept separate and secure from whatever
else the user has installed?
Threats to Your Applications
On some platforms (iOS and Android in particular), disabling
the built-in signature checks is a fairly common practice. You
need to consider whether or not it would matter to you if
someone could modify your code and run it on a jail-broken
or rooted device. An obvious concern would be the removal
of a license check, which could lead to your app being stolen
and used for free. A less obvious, but more serious, threat is
the insertion of malicious code (malware)that could steal your
202
users data, or inject illicit content and destroy your brands
reputation.
Reverse-engineering your app can give a hacker access to a
lot of sensitive data, such as the cryptographic keys for DRM-
protected movies, the secret protocol for talking to your online
game server, or the way to access credits stored on the phone
for your mobile payment system. It only takes one hacker and
one jail-broken phone to exploit any of these threats.
If your application handles real money or valuable content
you need to take every feasible step to protect it from Man-At-
The-End (MATE) attacks. And if you are implementing a DRM
standard you will have to follow robustness rules that make
self-protection mandatory.
Protecting Your Application
Hiding the Map of Your Code
Some mobile platforms are programmed using managed code
(Java or .NET), comprised of byte code executed by a virtual
machine rather than directly on the CPU. The binary formats
for these platforms include metadata that lays out the class
hierarchy and gives the name and type of every class, variable,
method and parameter. Metadata helps the virtual machine
to implement some of the language features (e.g. refection).
However, metadata is also very helpful to a hacker trying to
reverse engineer the code. Decompiler programs, freely avail-
able, regenerate the source code from the byte code, and make
reverse engineering easy.
The Android platform has the option of using the Java
Native Interface (JNI) to access functions written in C and
compiled as native code. Native code is much more diffcult to
203
reverse engineer than Java and is recommended for any part of
the application where security is of prime importance.
gcc is the compiler normally used to build native code
for Android, its twin-sister clang is used for iOS. The default
setting for these compilers is to prepare every function to be
exported from a shared object, and add it to the dynamic sym-
bol table in the binary. The dynamic symbol table is different
to the symbol table used for debugging and is much harder to
strip after compilation. Dumping the dynamic symbols can give
a hacker a very helpful index of every function in the native
code. Using the f vi si bi l i t y compiler switch
2
correctly is
an easy way to make it harder to understand the code.
Compiled Objective-C code contains machine code and a lot
of metadata which can provide an attacker with information
about names and the call structure of the application. Currently,
there are tools and scripts to read this metadata and guide
hackers, but there are no tools to hide it. The most common
way to build a GUI for iOS is by using Objective-C, but the most
secure approach is to minimize its use and switch to plain C or
C++ for everything beyond the GUI.
Hiding Control-Flow
Even if all the names are hidden, a good hacker can still fgure
out how the software works. Commercial managed-code protec-
tion tools are able to deliberately obfuscate the path through
the code by re-coding operations and breaking up blocks of
instructions, which makes de-compilation much more diffcult.
With a good protection tool in place, an attempt to de-compile
a protected binary will end in either a crashed de-compiler or
invalid source code.
De-compiling native code is more diffcult but can still be
done. Even without a tool, it does not take much practice to be
2 gcc.gnu.org/wiki/Visibility
204
able to follow the control-fow in the assembler code generated
by a compiler. Applications with a strong security requirement
will need an obfuscation tool for the native code as well as the
managed code.
Protecting Network Communications
Network communications are also vulnerable, particularly when
apps can be installed in emulators or simulators, where network
analyzers are freely available and able to monitor and intercept
network traffc. Consider protecting sensitive network communi-
cations, for instance by using SSL for HTTP traffc between your
app and servers. SSL protects data in transit, but only from
the app to the web server where the SSL session ends. Even
then MATE attacks, especially over WiFi networks, may disclose
sensitive data. One way to step up transport security is to use
asymmetric encryption between the server and the mobile app
(using public/private key pairs) to provide end-to-end security.
For sensitive corporate data and applications, install Virtual
Private Network (VPN) servers, and install VPN clients on the
mobile devices. VPNs generally provide strong authentication,
and secure transport above and beyond SSL.
Protect Against Tampering
You can protect the code base further by actively detecting
attempts to tamper with the application and respond to
those attacks. Cryptography code should always use standard,
relatively secure cipher algorithms (e.g. AES, RSA, ECC), but
what happens if an attacker can fnd the encryption keys in
your binary or in memory at runtime? That might result in the
attacker unlocking the door to something valuable. Even if you
use public key cryptography and only half of the key-pair is
exposed, you still need to consider what would happen if an
attacker swapped that key for one where he already knew the
205
other half. You need a technique to detect when your code has
been tampered. Tools are available that encrypt/decrypt code
on the fy, run checksums against the code to detect tamper-
ing, and react when the code has changed.
Communications can be monitored and hacked between
the mobile app and backend services. Even when using SSL,
an intercepting web proxy (like Paros) can be setup on a WiFi
connection that will inspect SSL traffc. Attackers can then
tamper with the data in transit, for proft or fun. So if really
sensitive data is being sent via HTTPS, consider encrypting/
decrypting data in the mobile application and on the server, so
that network sniffers will only ever see encrypted data.
Protecting Cryptographic Algorithms
An active anti-tampering tool can help detect or prevent some
attacks on crypto keys, but it will not allow the keys to remain
hidden permanently. White-box cryptography aims to imple-
ment the standard cipher algorithms in a way that allows the
keys to remain hidden. Some versions of white-box cryptogra-
phy use complex mathematical approaches to obtain the same
numerical results in a way that is diffcult to reverse engineer.
Others embed keys into look-up tables and state machines that
are diffcult to reverse engineer. White-box cryptography will
defnitely be needed if you are going to write DRM code or need
highly-secure data storage.
Best Practices
Do Not Store Secrets or Private Info
Minimize the amount of sensitive information stored on the
device. Do not store credentials or encryption keys, unless
secure storage is used protected by a complex password.
206
Instead, store authentication tokens that have limited lifetime
and functionality.
Log fles are useful for diagnosing system errors and tracking
the use of applications. But be careful not to violate the
privacy of users by storing location information, or logging
personally identifable information of the users. Some countries
have laws restricting the tracking information that can be col-
lectedso be sure to check the laws in the countries in which
your app will be used.
Do not print stack traces or system diagnostics that hackers
can leverage to penetrate further.
Do Not Trust The Device
When you design an application, assume that the device will
be owned by an attacker trying to abuse the app. Perform the
same secure software development life cycle when building
mobile apps as you would for backend services. Do not trust
even the databases you create for your mobile appsa hacker
may change the schema. Do not trust the operating system
to provide protectionmost OS protections can be bypassed
trivially by jailbreaking the device. Do not trust that native
keystores will keep data secretsome keystores can be broken
by bruteforce guessing unless the user protects the device with
a long complex password.
Minimize Permissions
Android has the concept of permissions, iOS has entitlements,
which allow the application access to sensors such as the
GPS and to sensitive content. On Android these permissions
need to be specifed as part of creating the application in the
AndroidManifest.xml fle. They are presented to the user when
they choose to install the application on their device.
Each permission increases the potential for your application
207
to do nefarious things and may scare off some users from even
downloading your application. So aim to minimize the number
of permissions or features your application needs.
Tools
Protection
Basic Java code renaming can be done using Proguard
3
, an
open-source tool and Arxans GuardIT
4
.
Two vendors for managed-code (Java and .NET) protection
tools are Arxan Technologies
5
and PreEmptive Solutions
6
.
The main vendors for native code protection tools and
white-box cryptography libraries are Arxan and Irdeto
7
.
Techniques for protecting Android code against tampering
are documented at androidcracking.blogspot.com/. Arxans
EnsureIT allows you to insert extra code at build time that will
detect debuggers, use checksums to spot changes to the code
in memory and allow code to be decrypted or repaired on-the-
fy.
Sniffng
A standard free web proxy tool is Paros
8
. A standard network
sniffng tool available on common platform is Wireshark
9
.
3 www.proguard.sourceforge.net
4 arxan.com
5 arxan.com
6 preemptive.com
7 www.irdeto.com
8 sourceforge.net/projects/paros
9 sourceforge.net/projects/wireshark
208
De-Compiling
See the Hex Rays de-compiler
10
.
Learn More
Here are some useful resources and references which may help
you:

Apple provides a general guide to software security
11
. It
also includes several links to more detailed topics for their
platform.

Commercial training courses are available for iOS and
Android
12
, and Lancelot Institute
13
provide secure coding
courses covering iOS and Android.

OReilly (2011) published a book on Android security
Jeff Six: Application Security For The Android Platform.
Processes, Permissions and Other Safeguards (Dec 2011)
14

and another for iOS, Jonathan Zdziarski: Hacking and
Securing iOS Applications
15
.

Charlie Miller et al. (2012) published iOS Hackers Hand-
book
16
, which demonstrates how easy it is to steal code
and data from iOS devices.

Academic researchers demonstrate how much information
can be gleaned from public Android apps at USENIX 2011
17
.

A free SSL tester is provided by Qualsys Labs
18
.
10 www.hex-rays.com
11 developer.apple.com/library/mac/navigation/#section=Topics&topic=Security
12 marakana.com/training/android/android_security.html
13 www.lancelotinstitute.com
14 shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920022596.do
15 shop.oreilly.com/product/0636920023234.do
16 www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118204123.html
17 static.usenix.org/event/sec11/tech/slides/enck.pdf
18 www.ssllabs.com/ssltest
209

Extensive free application security guidance and testing
tools are provided by OWASP
19
, including the OWASP Mobile
Security Project
20
.

An open-source mobile application performance monitoring
tool for Android is provided by AT&Ts Application Resource
Optimization tool
21
.
The Bottom Line
Mobile apps are becoming ever more trusted, but they are
exposed to many who would like to take advantage of that
trust. The appropriate level of application security is something
that needs to be considered for every app. In the end, your app
will be in-the-wild on its own and will need to defend itself
against hackers and other malicious threats, wherever it goes.
Invest the time to learn about the security features and
capabilities of the mobile platforms you want to target. Use
techniques such as threat modelling to identify potential
threats relevant to your application. Perform code reviews
and strip out non-essential logging and debugging methods.
Consider how a hacker would analyze your code, then use
similar techniques, in a safe and secure environment, against
your application to discover vulnerabilities and mitigate these
vulnerabilities before releasing your application.
19 www.owasp.org
20 www.owasp.org/index.php/OWASP_Mobile_Security_Project
21 developer.att.com
211
Testing Your Application
After all your hard work creating your application how about
testing it before unleashing it on the world? Testing mobile
applications used to be almost entirely manual, thankfully au-
tomated testing is now viable for many of the mobile platforms.
Several of the major mobile development platforms include test
automation in the core tools, including Android and iOS.
Cross-platform test automation tools are available for
popular platforms; some are free-of-charge and open-source,
others are commercial.
This chapter covers the general topics; testing for specifc
platforms is covered in the relevant chapter. We will start by
covering several key concepts which need to be considered
before the code is written as they affect how it will be written.
The topics include:

Testability

Test-Driven Development (TDD)

Unit testing
Testability: The Biggest Single Win
If you want to fnd ways to test your application effectively and
effciently then start designing and implementing ways to test
it; this applies especially for automated testing. For example,
using techniques such as Dependency Injection in your code
enables you to replace real servers (slow and faky) with mock
servers (controllable and fast). Use unique, clear identifers for
key UI elements. If you keep identifers unchanged your tests
require less maintenance.
Separate your code into testable modules. Several years
B
Y

J
u
l
i
a
n

H
a
r
t
y
212
ago, when mobile devices and software tools were very limited,
developers chose to optimize their mobile code into mono-
lithic blobs of code, however the current devices and mobile
platforms mean this form of optimization is unnecessary and
possibly even counter-productive.
Provide ways to query the state of the application, possibly
through a custom debug interface. You, or your testers, might
otherwise spend lots of time trying to fathom out what the
problems are when the application does not work as hoped.
Test-Driven Development
There are several ways to design and implement software. Test-
Driven Development (TDD) is an approach where developers
write automated tests in parallel with writing the main code for
the app. The automated tests will include unit-tests, these are
covered in the next topic.
TDD is both a mindset and a practice. It requires a certain
amount of discipline to write the tests even when the going
gets tough. And by practising TDD diligently developers are
likely to write better-quality, simpler, cleaner code which is
also easier to maintain in future (as they are protected and
supported by a set of automated tests which can be run when
maintaining and revising the source code of the app).
The pure approach is when the tests are written frst, and
run, before new application code is written. The new tests
are expected to fail, that is they should report failures in
the behaviour of the app. The failures express the mismatch
between what the app needs to do and what it currently does.
Now the developer has a simple, automated way to test their
modifcations to the source code for app. Once just enough
software has been written to get all the tests to pass we now
213
have confdence the app meets the requirements specifed by
these tests.
While we may have met the business requirements we may
decide our work is not done yet. For instance there may be
duplication, unnecessary complexity, and other known faws in
the implementation. We now have an opportunity to revise and
improve the source code through a process known as refactor-
ing. Refactoring is where developers improve the implementa-
tion where the automated tests continue to pass when run
against the improved code.
Sometimes we need to modify or even remove existing
automated tests when the desired changes break the existing
code. For rapidly changing code bases the extra work of working
on the tests can be perceived as an unnecessary burden. Teams
need to decide and commit to revise their automated tests at
some point before they fnish their changes; otherwise many of
the long term benefts of these tests would be lost.
TDD has become more popular and widespread in the general
development communities, particularly when using Agile
Development practices.
Although TDD is a struggle when using the current Mobile
Test Automation tools several people have provided examples
of using TDD successfully, for instance Graham Lees book
Test-Driven iOS Development
1
. You can also consider using TDD
for the generic aspects of the app.
Unit Testing
Unit testing involves writing automated tests that test small
chunks of code, typically only a few lines of source code.
The source code may be the implementation of an individual
method or function for instance that checks whether an
1 informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321774183
214
item of data is correctly formatted, or not. Unit tests have
a long pedigree in software development, where JUnit
2
has
spawned similar frameworks for virtually all of the programming
languages used to develop mobile apps.
Unit tests can be written by anyone who can write software,
however to get maximum beneft generally they should be
written by the same developer who writes the source code for
the app.
Unit tests are only one aspect of automated testing, they
are not suffcient to prove the app works. They help develop-
ers to understand what individual pieces of the software is
expected to do. Additional testing, including other forms of
automated tests can help to increase our confdence in the app.
Testing Through The Five Phases
of an Apps Lifecycle
The complete lifecycle of a mobile app fts into 5 phases:
implementation, verifcation, launch, engagement and valida-
tion. Testing applies to each phase. Some of the decisions
made for earlier stages can affect our testing in later stages.
For instance, if we decide we want automated system tests in
the frst phase they will be easier to implement in subsequent
phases.
Phase 1: Implementation
This includes design, code, unit tests, and build tasks. Tradi-
tionally testers are not involved in these tasks; however good
testing here can materially improve the quality and success of
the app by helping us to make sure our implementation is done
well.
In terms of testing, we should decide the following questions:
2 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JUnit
215

Do we use test-driven development (TDD)?

Do we write unit tests even if we are not using TDD?

Will we have automated system tests? If so, how will we
facilitate these automated system tests? For instance by
adding suitable labels to key objects in the UI.

How will we validate our apps? For instance, through the
use of Mobile Analytics? Crash reporting? Feedback from
users?
Question the design. We want to make sure it fulflls the
intended purposes; we also want to avoid making serious
mistakes. Phillip Armours paper on fve orders of ignorance
3
is
a great resource to help structure your approach.
Also consider how to improve the testability of your app at
this stage so you can make your app easier to test effectively
and effciently. Practices, including unit tests and Test-Driven-
Development (TDD) apply to the implementation phase.
Remember to test your build process and build scripts to ensure
they are effective, reliable and effcient, otherwise you are
likely to suffer the effects of poor builds throughout the life of
the app.
Phase 2: Verifcation
This includes reviewing unit tests, internal installation, and
system tests.
Review your unit tests and assess their potency: Are they re-
ally useful and trustworthy? Note: they should also be reviewed
as part of the implementation phase, however this is a good
time to address material shortcomings before the development
is considered complete for the current code base.
For apps that need installing we need ways to deploy them
to specifc devices for pre-release testing. For some platforms
3 www-plan.cs.colorado.edu/diwan/3308-07/p17-armour.pdf
216
(including Android, iOS and Windows Phone) the phones need
to be confgured so the apps can be installed. We also need to
decide which phones to test the app on. For instance, it is wise
to test the app on each suitable version of the mobile platform.
For iOS this may only include the latest releases. On Android
it already looks pretty different because low end devices are
still being sold with version 2.x of Android and will never be
updated to 4.x
We will also want to test different form-factors of devices;
for instance where the ratio of the screen dimensions differ.
The iPhone 5s new screen dimensions exposed lots of UI bugs.
Android developers are well aware of the many issues different
screen sizes can trigger.
System tests are often performed interactively, by testers.
Consider evaluating test automation tools and frameworks for
some of your system tests. We will go into more detail later in
this section.
We also want to consider how we will know the app meets:

Usability, user experience and aesthetics requirements

Performance, particularly as perceived by end users

Internationalization and localization testing
Phase 3: Launch
This includes pre-publication and publication.
For those of you who have yet to work with major app stores
be prepared for a challenging experience where most aspects
are outside your control, including the timescales for approval
of your app. Also, on some app stores, you are unable to revert
a new release. So if your current release has major faws you
have to create a new release that fxes the faws, then wait
until it has been approved by the app store, before your users
can receive a working version of your app.
217
Given these constraints it is worth extending your testing
to include pre-publication checks of the app such as whether it
is suitable for the set of targeted devices. The providers of the
main platforms now publish guidelines to help you test your
app will meet their submission criteria. These guidelines may
help you even if you target other app stores.
Android
developer.android.com/distribute/googleplay/publish/
preparing.html#core-app-quality
Apple
developer.apple.com/appstore/resources/approval/
guidelines.html (Apple account needed for access)
BlackBerry
developer.blackberry.com/devzone/appworld/tips_for_app_
approval.html
Windows Phone
msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windowsphone/develop/
hh394032(v=vs.105).aspx
Phase 4: Engagement
This includes search, trust, download and installation. Once
your app is publicly available users need to fnd, trust,
download and install it. We can test each aspect of this phase.
Try searching for your app on the relevant app store, and in
mainstream search engines. How many different ways can it be
found by your target users? What about users outside the target
groupsdo you want them to fnd it? How will users trust your
app suffciently to download and try it? Does your app really
need so many permissions? How large is the download, and how
practical is it to download over the mobile network? Will it ft
on the users phone, particularly if there is little free storage
available on their device? And does the app install correctly
there may be signing issues which cause the app to be rejected
by some phones.
218
Phase 5: Validation
This includes payment, use and feedback. As you may already
know, a mobile app with poor feedback is unlikely to succeed.
Furthermore many apps have a very short active life on a users
phone. If the app does not please and engage them within
a few minutes it is likely to be discarded or ignored. And for
those of you who are seeking payment, it is worth testing the
various forms of payment, especially for in-app payments.
Consider fnding ways to test the following as soon as
practical:

Problem detection and reporting. These may include our
own code, third-party utilities, and online services.

Mobile Analytics. Does the data being collected make
sense? What anomalies are there in the reported data?
What is the latency in getting the results, et cetera?
Interactive Testing
Variety and movement can help expose bugs which remain
dormant when testing on a small set of devices in a fxed
location such as your workplace. Learn from your users - how
do they use your app, or similar apps? Then devise tests that
mimic the ways they use apps and devices.
The guidelines at appqualityalliance.org/resources are worth
considering when devising your test cases. For instance they
include testing the app to see what happens when an incoming
phone call is received; and when the user switches the phone
to fight mode.
The next few sections will describe three different ap-
proaches to interactive testing.
219

Physical devices: why testing with real phones is impor-
tant.

Remote control: a way you can test using phones that are
not physically in your hands, where they may be thousands
of miles away and even on another continent.

Crowd sourced testing: where other testers perform
testing on your behalf.
Physical and Virtual Devices
Physical devices are real, you can hold them in your hands.
Virtual devices run as software, inside another computer. Both
are useful hosts for testing mobile apps.
Virtual devices are generally free and immediately available
to install and use. Some platforms, including Android, allows
you to create custom devices, for instance with a new screen
resolution, which we can use for testing our apps even before
suitable hardware is available. They can provide rough-and-
ready testing of your applications, however their performance
and behaviors differ from those of physical devices. Also the
security settings of virtual devices may vary signifcantly from
those implemented on end-user devices, which means testing
security and permissions on virtual devices may be counter-
productive.
Ultimately your software needs to run on real, physical,
phones, as used by your intended users. The performance
characteristics of various phone models vary tremendously from
each other and from the virtual device on your computer. So
you should buy, beg, borrow various phones to test on. A good
start is to pick a mix of popular, new, and models that include
specifc characteristics or features such as: touch screen, physi-
cal keyboard, screen resolution, networking chipset, et cetera.
Try your software on at least one low-end or old device as we
want users with these devices to be happy too.
220
Here are some examples of areas to test on physical devices:

Navigating the UI: for instance, can users use your
application with one hand? Effects of different lighting
conditions: the experience of the user interface can differ
in real sunlight when you are out and about. It is a mobile
devicemost users will be on the move. Rotate the screen
and make sure the app is equally attractive and functional.

Location: if you use location information within your
app: moveboth quickly and slowly. Go to locations with
patchy network and GPS coverage to see how your app
behaves.

Multimedia: support for audio, video playback and record-
ing facilities can differ dramatically between devices and
their respective emulators.

Internet connectivity: establishing an internet connec-
tion can take an incredible amount of time. Connection
delay and bandwidth depend on the network, its current
strength and the number of simultaneous connections. Test
the effects of intermittent connectivity and how the app
responds.
Remote Control
If you do not have physical devices at hand or if you need to
test your application on other networks, especially abroad and
for other locales, then one of the remote device services might
help you. They can help extend the breadth and depth of your
testing at little or no cost.
Several manufacturers provide this service free-of-charge for
a subset of their phone models to registered software develop-
221
ers. Both Nokia
4
(for MeeGo and Symbian) and Samsung
5
(for
Android and Bada) provide restricted but free daily access.
You can also use commercial services of companies such as
PerfectoMobile.com or DeviceAnywhere.com for similar testing
across a range of devices and platforms. Some manufacturers
brand and promote these services however you often have to
pay for them after a short trial period. Some of the commercial
services provide APIs to enable you to create automated tests.
You can even create a private repository of remote devices,
e.g. by hosting them in remote offces and locations.
Beware of privacy and confdentiality when using shared
devices.
Crowd-Sourced Testing
There are billions of users with mobile phones across the
world. Some of them are professional software testers, and of
these, some work for professional out-sourced testing service
companies such as utest.com, testhub.com and mob4hire.com.
They can test your application quickly and relatively inexpen-
sively, compared to maintaining a larger dedicated software
testing team.
These services can augment your other testing, we do not
recommend using them as your only formal testing. To get good
results you will need to devote some of your time and effort to
defning the tests you want them to run, and to working with
the company to review the results, et cetera.
4 apu.ndhub.net/devices
5 rtl.innovator.samsungmobile.com/
222
Test Automation
Automated tests can help you maintain and improve your
velocity, your speed of delivering features, by providing early
feedback of problems. To do so, they need to be well-designed
and implemented. Otherwise you risk doubling your workload
to maintain a mess of broken and unreliable automated tests
as well as a broken and an unreliable app. Good automated
tests mimic good software development practices, for instance
using Design Patterns
6
, modularity, performing code reviews, et
cetera.
It is important to assess the longevity and vitality of the
test automation tools you plan to use, otherwise you may be
saddled with unsupported test automation code. Test automa-
tion tools provided as part of the development SDK are worth
considering. They are generally free, inherently available for the
particular platform, and are supported by massive companies.
BDD Test Automation
BDD stands for Behavior-Driven Development
7
where the
behavior is described in formatted text fles that can be run
as automated tests. The format of the tests are intended to
be readable and understandable by anyone involved with the
software project. They can be written in virtually any human
language, for instance Japanese
8
, and they use a consistent,
simple structure with statements such as Given, When, Then to
structure the test scripts.
6 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_Patterns
7 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavior-driven_development
8 github.com/cucumber/cucumber/tree/master/examples/i18n/ja
223
There are various BDD frameworks available to test mobile apps.
These include:

Calabash for Android and iOS: github.com/calabash

Frank for iOS: www.testingwithfrank.com

RoboGerk for Android: github.com/leandog/RoboGherk

Zucchini for iOS: www.zucchiniframework.org
and various implementations that integrate with Selenium-
WebDriver for testing web apps, including web apps on iOS and
Android.
Often, custom step-defnitions (small scripts that interact
with the app being tested) need to be written by someone with
coding skills.
GUI Test Automation
GUI test automation is where automated tests interact with
the app via the Graphical User Interface (GUI). It is one of the
elixirs of the testing industry, many have tried but few have
succeeded in creating useful and viable GUI test automation
for mobile applications. One of the main reasons why GUI
test automation is so challenging is that the User Interface
is subject to signifcant changes which may break the way
automated tests interact with the app. Another challenge is to
make money from creating and supporting the test automation
frameworks now developers are used to free tools. One by one
tool vendors seem to be moving to providing their tools for free
and trying to earn money from other sources such as bootstrap-
ping projects, providing training, and support.
224
For the tests to be effective in the longer term, and as
the app changes, developers need to design, implement and
support the labels and other hooks used by the automated GUI
tests. Both Apple, with UI Automation
9
, and more recently
Android
10
use the Accessibility label assigned to UI elements as
the de-facto interface for UI automation.
Some commercial companies have opensourced their tools
GorillaLogics MonkeyTalk
11
and Xamarins Calabash
12
. These
tools aim to provide cross-platform support particularly for
Android and iOS. Other successful opensource frameworks
include Robotium
13
and Frank
14
.
Headless Client
The user-interface (UI) of a modern mobile application can
constitute over 50% of the entire codebase. If your testing is
limited to using the GUI designed for users you may needlessly
complicate your testing and debugging efforts. One approach is
to create a very basic UI that is a thin wrapper around the rest
of the core code (typically this includes the networking and
business layers). This headless client may help you to quickly
isolate and identify bugs e.g. related to the device, carrier, and
other environmental issues.
Another beneft of creating a headless client is that it may
be simpler to automate some of the testing e.g. to exercise all
the key business functions and/or to automate the capture and
reporting of test results.
9 developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/DeveloperTools/
Conceptual/InstrumentsUserGuide/UsingtheAutomationInstrument/
UsingtheAutomationInstrument.html
10 developer.android.com/tools/testing/testing_ui.html
11 gorillalogic.com/testing-tools/monkeytalk
12 github.com/calabash
13 code.google.com/p/robotium/
14 testingwithfrank.com/
225
You can also consider creating skeletal programs that probe
for essential features and capabilities across a range of phone
models e.g. for a J2ME application to test the File Handling
where the user may be prompted (many times) for permission
to allow fle IO operations. Given the fragmentation and quirks
of mature platforms such probes can quickly repay the invest-
ment you make to create and run them.
Beware Of Specifcs
Platforms, networks, devices, and even frmware, are all
specifc. Any could cause problems for your applications. Test
these manually frst, provided you have the time and budget to
get fast and early feedback.
Many mobile applications include algorithms, et cetera,
unrelated to mobile technology. This generic code should be
separated from the platform-specifc code. For example, on
Android or J2ME the business logic can generally be coded as
standard Java, then you can write, and run, automated unit
tests in your standard IDE using JUnit. Consider platform-
specifc test automation once the generic code has good
automated tests.
227
Monetization
Monetization
Finally you have fnished your app or mobile website and
polished it as a result of beta testing feedback. Assuming you
are not developing as a hobby, for branding exposure, et cetera,
now it is time to make some money. But how do you do that,
what are your options?
In general, you have the following monetization options:
1. Pay per download: Sell your app per download
2. In-app payment: Add payment options into your app
3. Mobile advertising: Earn money from advertising
4. Sponsorships: Receive money for each user signing up to
your sponsor
5. Revenue sharing: Earn revenue from operator services
originating in your app
6. Indirect sales: Affliates, data reporting and physical
goods among others
7. Component marketplace: Sell components or a white-label
version of your app to other developers
When you come to planning your own development, determin-
ing the monetization business model should be one of the key
elements of your early design as it might affect the functional
and technical behavior of the app.
Pay Per Download
Using pay per download (PPD) your app is sold once to each
user as they download and install it on their phone. Payment
can be handled by an app store, mobile operator, or you can
setup a mechanism yourself.
B
Y

M
i
c
h
e
l

S
h
u
q
a
i
r

&

T
h
i
b
a
u
t

R
o
u
f
f
n
e
a
u
228
Monetization
When your app is distributed in an app store, the store will
handle the payment mechanism for you. In return the store
takes a revenue share (typically 30%) on all sales. In most
cases stores offer a matrix of fxed price points by country and
currency ($0.99, EUR 0.79, $3 etc) to choose from when pricing
your app.
Payment for downloaded apps is generally handled in one of
two ways: operator billing or credit-card payments.
Operator billing enables your customers to pay for your app
by just confrming that the sale will be charged to their mobile
phone bill or by sending a Premium SMS. In some cases, opera-
tor billing is handled by an app store (such as Google Play,
which supports operator billing for a number of carriers around
the world). In other cases, it can be implemented directly by
the developer.
Each operator will take a revenue share of the sale price
(typically 30% to 65%, but some operators can take up to
95%), and, if you use one, an aggregator will take its share
too. Security (how you prevent the copying of your app) and
manageability are common issues with the PPD model, but
in some scenarios it might be the only monetization option.
Operator billing can quite diffcult to handle on your own,
particularly if you want to sell in several countries, as you
needed to sign contracts with each operator in each country.
It is worth noting that most of the vendor app stores are
pursuing operator billing agreements, with Nokia Store having
good coverage with operator billing available in 52 countries
for both their legacy Nokia Store and Microsofts Windows
Phone Marketplace. Google and Blackberry are have similar
options. The principal reason they are doing this is that
typically, when users have a choice of credit card and operator
billing methods users show a signifcant preference for operator
billing. Nokia, at least, also insulates developers from the
229
Monetization
variation in operator share, offering developers a fxed 70% of
billing revenue.
Credit-card billing is used by Apple, Google (in some cases),
Amazon and other stores. Apple has required iPhone users to
provide credit-card data at registration for many years, and
Google now requires this as well for Android users. Having this
information entered before purchase is, according to analysts, a
key differentiator for higher monthly per app revenue.
The last payment option is to create your own website and
implement a payment mechanism through that, such as PayPal
mobile, Dutch initiative M! Payment
1
, dial-in to premium
landlines
2
or others.
Using PPD can typically be implemented with no special
design or coding requirements for your app and for starters
we would recommend using the app store billing options as
it involves minimal setup costs and minor administrative
overhead.
In-App Payment
In-app payment is a way to charge for specifc actions or assets
within your application. A very basic use might be to enable
the one-off purchase of your application after a trial period
which may garner more sales than PPD if you feel the features
of your application justify a higher price point. Alternatively,
you can offer the basic features of your application for free, but
charge for premium content (videos, virtual credits, premium
information, additional features, removing ads and alike). Most
app stores offer an in-app purchase option or you could imple-
ment your own payment mechanism. If you want to look at
anything more than a one-off full license payment you have
1 empayment.com
2 daopay.com
230
Monetization
to think carefully about how, when and what your users will be
willing to pay for and design your app accordingly.
In-app purchases have become the leading monetization
model in many markets, particularly among freemium games
that use free distribution to get users hooked before turning
them into buyers. In the US, 76% of iOS revenues come from
in-app purchasing, according to Distimo
3
, while the fgure is
90% in Asia.
This type of payment is particularly popular in games (for
features such as buying extra power, extra levels, virtual credits
and alike) and can help achieve a larger install base as you can
offer the basic application for free. Note, however, that some
app stores (such as Apples) do not allow third-party payment
options to be implemented inside your app. This is done to
prevent you from using the app store for free distribution while
avoiding payment of the stores revenue share.
It should also be obvious that you will need to design and
develop your application to incorporate the in-app payment
method. If your application is implemented across various
platforms, you may need to implement a different mechanism
for each platform (in addition to each app store, potentially).
As with PPD we would recommend that you start with
the in-app purchasing mechanism offered by an app store,
particularly as some of these can leverage operator billing
services (such as Google Play) or utilize pre-existing credit-card
information (such as Apple or Amazon), or with in-app payment
offered directly by operators. From a users perspective, this
is the easiest and most convenient way to pay (one or two
clicks, no need to enter credit card numbers, user names or
other credentials), so developers can expect the highest user
acceptance and conversion rates.
3 www.distimo.com/publications, download How The Most Successful Apps
Monetize Their User Base from March 2013
231
Monetization
Mobile Advertising
As is common on websites, you could decide to earn money
by displaying advertisements. There are a number of players
who offer tools to display mobile ads and it is the easiest way
to make money on mobile browser applications. Admob.com,
Buzzcity.com and inmobi.com are a few of the parties that
offer mobile advertising. However because of the wide range of
devices, countries and capabilities there are currently over 50
large mobile ad networks. Each network offers slightly different
approaches and fnding the one that monetizes your apps audi-
ence best may not be straightforward. There is no golden rule;
you may have to experiment with a few to fnd the one that
works best. However, for a quick start you might consider using
a mobile ad aggregator, such as Madgic
4
, smaato
5
or innerac-
tive
6
as they tend to bring you better earnings by combining
and optimizing ads from 40+ mobile ad networks. Most ad
networks take a 30% to 50% share of advertising revenue and
aggregators another 15% to 20% on top of that.
If your app is doing really well and has a large volume in
a specifc country you might consider selling ads directly to
advertising agencies or brands (Premium advertising) or hire a
media agency to do that for you.
Again many of the device vendors offer mobile advertising
services as part of their app store offering and these mecha-
nisms are also worth exploring. In some cases you may have to
use the vendors offering to be able to include your application
in their store.
In-application advertising will require you to design and
code your application carefully. Not only the display location
4 madgic.com
5 smaato.net
6 inner-active.com
232
Monetization
of ads within your app needs to be considered with care, also
the variations and opt-out mechanism. If adverts become
too intrusive, users may abandon your app, while making the
advertising too subtle will mean you gain little or no revenue.
It may require some experimentation to fnd the right level
and positions in which to place adverts.
Sponsorships
The German startup Apponsor
7
offers a new way of earning
money without the need to display advertising or charge a
download fee: The user gets your app for free and is prompted
to sign-up for a newsletter of your sponsor. The sponsor will
in return pay the developer an amount for each newsletter
registration.
Revenue Sharing
Revenue sharing with mobile operator for services built into
your app is an emerging opportunity for developers, and
one that is worth following. This monetization method lets
developers build services such as SMS, MMS, location, advertis-
ing, customer profle and operator billing into their apps. With
well-documented APIs that are free to use, revenue generated
is split transparently between operator and app owner.
While BlueVia is currently the only developer community
dedicated to this model, if its early adoption continues to
grow, it may become a recognized business model for mobile
operators.
7 apponsor.com
233
Monetization
Indirect Sales
Another option is to use your application to drive sales
elsewhere.
Here you usually offer your app or website for free and then use
mechanisms such as:
1. Affliate programs: Promote third party or your own paid
apps within a free app. See also MobPartner
8
. This can be
considered a variation on mobile advertising
2. Data reporting: Track behavior and sell data to interested
parties. Note that for privacy reasons you should not reveal
any personal information, ensure all data is provided in
anonymous, consolidated reports
3. Virtual vs. real world: Use your app as a marketing tool to
sell goods in the real world. Typical examples are car apps,
magazine apps and large brands such as McDonalds and
Starbucks. Also coupon applications as Groupon often use
this business model
There is nothing to stop you from combining this option
with any of the other revenue generation options if you wish,
but take care that you do not give the impression of overly-
intrusive promotions.
Component Marketplace
A Component Marketplace (CMP) provides another opportunity
for developers to monetize their products to other developers
and earn money by selling software components or white-
labelled apps. A software component is a building block piece
8 mobpartner.com
234
Monetization
of software, which provides a defned functionality, that is to
be used by higher level software.
The typical question that comes up at this point is on how
CMPs contrast to open source. As a user, open source is often
free-of-charge. Source code must be provided and users have
the right to modify the source code and distribute the derived
work.
Some component providers require a license fee. They
may provide full source code which enables the developer to
debug into lower level code. Some CMPs support all models:
Paid components with or without source code as well as free
components with or without source code.
If you are a developer searching for a component, CMPs offer
two major advantages: First, you dont have to open source
your code just because you use software components. All open
source comes with a license. Some licenses like the Apache are
commercially friendly; others, such as AGPL and OSL, require
you to open source your code that integrates with theirs. You
might not want this. Secondly, CMPs provide an easy way to
fnd and download components. You can spend days browsing
open source repositories to fnd the right thing to use.
Component marketplaces have existed for decades now. The
most prominent marketplace is for components for Visual Basic
and .NET in the Windows community. Marketplaces such as
componentOne and suppliers like Infragistics are well known
in their domain. The idea of component marketplaces within
the mobile arena is quite new. Deutsche Telekoms Developer
Garden
9
, ChupaMobile
10
and Verious
11
are relevant players in
this domain.
9 www.developergarden.com/component-marketplace/
10 www.chupamobile.com
11 www.verious.com
235
Monetization
Choosing your Monetization Model
So with all these options what should your strategy be? It
depends on your goals, let us look at a few:

Do you want a large user base? Consider distributing your
application for free with in-app purchases, or with mobile
advertising (you could even offer a premium ad-free
version)

Are you convinced users will be willing to buy your app
immediately? Then sell it as PPD for $0.99, but beware
while you might cash several thousand dollars per day it
could easily be no more than a few hundred dollars per
week if your assessment of your app is misplaced or the
competition ferce

Are you offering premium features at a premium price?
Consider a time or feature limited trial application then use
in-app purchasing to enable the purchase of a full version
either permanently or for a period of time

Are you developing a game? Consider offering the app for
free with in-app advertising or a basic version then use in-
app purchasing to allow user to unlock new features, more
levels, different vehicles or any extendable game asset

Is your mobile app an extension to your existing PC web
shop or physical store? Offer the app for free and earn
revenue from your products and services in the real world
The Developer Economics 2013
12
research identifed the
most lucrative monetization models by asking +6000 developers
for their experiences and preferred strategies. The table below
presents the percentage of developers using each model, as
well as the average per-app month revenue for each one.
12 www.DeveloperEconomics.com
236
Monetization
Revenue model
Percentage (%) of
developers using
model
Average revenue per
app month
Subscriptions 12% $3,683
In-app purchases 19% $3,033
Pay-per download 34% $2,451
Freemium 18% $1,865
Advertising 33% $1,498
Appstore Strategies
The fip side of revenue generation is marketing and promotion.
The need might be obvious if you sell your application through
your own website, but it is equally important when using a
vendors app store. Appstores are the curse and the blessing
of mobile developers. On the bright side they give develop-
ers extended reach and potential sales exposure that would
otherwise be very diffcult to achieve. On the dark side the
more popular ones now contain hundreds of thousands of apps,
decreasing the potential to stand out from the crowd and be
successful, leading many to compare the chances of appstore
success to the odds of winning the lottery.
So, here are a few tips and tricks to help your raise your odds.
Basic Strategies To Get High
The most important thing to understand about appstores is
that they are distribution channels and not marketing ma-
chines. This means that while appstores are a great way to get
your app onto users devices, they are not going to market your
app for you (unless you purchase premium positioning either
237
Monetization
through banners or list placings). You cannot rely on the app
stores to pump up your downloads, unless you happen to get
into a top-ten list. But do not play the lottery with your apps,
have a strategy and plan to market your app.
We have asked many developers about the tactics that
brought them the most attention and higher rankings in
appstores.
Many answers came back and one common theme emerged:
there is no silver bulletyou have to fre on all fronts!
However it will help if you try to keep the following in mind:

You need a kick ass app: it should be entertaining, easy to
use and not buggy. Make sure you put it in the hands of
users before you put it in a store.

Polish your icons and images in the appstore, work on
your app description, and carefully choose your keywords
and category. If unsure of or unsatisfed with the results,
experiment.

Getting reviewed by bloggers and magazines is one of the
best ways to get attention. In return some will be asking
for money, some for exclusivity, and some for early access.

Get (positive) reviews as quickly as possible. Call your
friends and ask your users regularly for a review.

If you are going to do any advertising, use a burst of
advertising over a couple of days. This is much more
effective than spending the same amount of money over 2
weeks, as it will help create a big spike, rather than a slow,
gradual push.

Do not rely on the traffc generated by people browsing the
appstore, make sure you drive traffc to your app through
your website, SEO and social media.
238
Monetization
Multi-Store vs Single Store
With 120+ appstores available to developers, there are clearly
many application distribution options. But the 20 minutes
needed on average to submit an app to an appstore means you
could be spending a lot of time posting apps in obscure stores
that achieve few downloads. This is why a majority of develop-
ers stick to only 1 or 2 stores, missing out on a potentially
huge opportunity but getting a lot more time for the important
things, like coding! So should you go multi-store or not?
Monetization
Multi-store Single store
The main platform appstores
can have serious limitations,
such as payment mechanisms,
penetration in certain countries,
content guidelines.
90%+ of smartphone users only
use a single appstore, which
tends to be the platform app-
store shipping with the phone
Smaller stores give you more
visibility options (featured app)
Your own website can bring
you more traffc than appstores
(especially if you have a well-
known brand)
Smaller stores are more social
media friendly than large ones.
Many smaller appstores scrape
data from large stores, so your
app may already be there.
Operators stores have notori-
ously strict content guidelines
and can be diffcult to get in,
particularly for some types of
apps.
For non-niche content, operator
or platform stores may offer
enough exposure to not justify
the extra effort of a multi-store
strategy.
Smaller stores may offer a wider
range of payment or business
model options, or be available in
many countries.
Some operators stores have
easier billing processessuch as
direct billing to a users mobile
accountleading to higher
conversion rates.
Some developers report that 50%
of their Android revenues come
from outside of Android Market
iPhone developers only need
1 appstore
The platform app stores should give you general coverage
for users, but over time, it is in your interest to adapt your
appstore strategy to match your targeted user base, and
utilize the appstores that best reach it. This could mean using
particular operator stores, stores popular in a specifc country,
240
Monetization
or simply sticking with the platform stores. There are some
third-party appstores with large audiences, such as the Amazon
appstore for Android, which offers developers a number of ways
to monetize their apps, such as PPD and in-app payments in
several countries. Additionally, in some countries, there are
locally popular appstores, such as AndroidPit
13
in Germany, or
one of the many China-specifc Android stores.
What Can You Earn?
One of the most common developer questions is about how
much money they can make with a mobile app. It is clear that
some apps have made their developers millionaires, while
others will not be giving up their day job anytime soon. Ac-
cording to a 2012 research by App-Promo.com
14
, 59% of all app
developers are not generating enough revenue to break even
with development costs and 80% confrmed that the revenue
generated with their most successful app was not enough to
support a standalone business. According to VisionMobiles
Developer Economics 2013 research among over 6,000 mobile
developers 67% of them are below the app poverty line of
$500 per app per month
15
.
Ultimately, what you can earn is about fulflling a need and
effective marketing. Experience suggests that apps which save
the user money or time are most attractive (hotel discounts,
coupons, free music and alike) followed by games (just look at
the success of Angry Birds) and business tools (offce document
viewers, sync tools, backup tools and alike) but often the
13 androidpit.de
14 app-promo.com/press-release-app-developers-get-a-wake-up-call-from-
results-of-app-promos-frst-annual-developer-survey/
15 www.visionmobile.com/products/research
241
Monetization
(revenue) success of a single app cannot be predicted. Success
usually comes with a degree of experimentation and a lot of
perseverance.
When it comes to platforms, it is actually BlackBerry and
iOS that top the per-app month revenue chart according to
the Developer Economics research by VisionMobile. Android is
third behind them, with Windows Phone bringing up the rear.
The table below presents the average per app-month revenue
for each platform according to the Developer Economics 2013
research.
Platform Revenue per app-month
Android $4,700
BlackBerry $1,200
iOS $5,200
Windows Phone $3,600
Learn More
If you want to dig deeper into the topic of app marketing,
check out the Mobile Developers Guide To The Parallel
Universe published by WIP. The 3
rd
edition has just been
published and is available on their events and their website
16
.
16 wipconnector.com
243
Monetization
Epilogue
Thanks for reading this 13
th
edition of our Mobile Developers
Guide. We hope you have enjoyed reading it and that we
helped you to clarify your options. Perhaps you are now ready
to get involved in developing a mobile app. We hope so. Please
also get involved in the community and share your experiences
and ideas with us and with others.
If you like to contribute to this guide or sponsor upcoming edi-
tions, please send your feedback to [email protected].
If you are using Twitter, you are invited to follow us on
twitter.com/enoughsoftware and spread the word about the
project using the hashtag #mdgg
Finally for this edition, you can also get it as an ebookcheck
amazon.com and kobobooks.com. And of course you can order
it as a hardcopy on our website: www.enough.de/mdgg.
How about sending the link to friends and colleagues too?
244
About the Authors
About the Authors
Mostafa Akbari / bitstars
Mo worked in software engineering and human interaction
research the past few years. He is involved in green mobility
projects. Now Mo has started a spinoff with Simon Heinen out
of the RWTH Aachen University for augmented reality research
and development. He focuses on AR interactions with personal
location-based data and on computer vision. His passion for
mix reality games is based on his passion for board games and
geocaching.
M@mosworld www.bitstars.com
Anna Alfut
Anna started her professional life as Creative Designer. After
discovering her passion for interface design she co-authored an
app for iOS and Android platforms and consulted on multiple
projects both on the agency and client side. Currently she works
in-house as UI and UX designer for consumer facing products
on mobile and desktop. Apart from thinking through and
drawing screens she also does illustration and enjoys living in
London.
www.alfutka.net
Andrej Balaz / Enough Software
As a graduate of the University of the Arts Bremen, Andrej
focuses on UI, UX and visual design for mobile applications
and other interactive technologies. He is also in charge of
the layout and design of this guide. When not involved with
something mobile, he loves to experiment with digital art and
illustration.
M@abiozzUI www.enough.de
245
About the Authors About the Authors
Davoc Bradley / Rivo Software
Davoc has been working as a software engineer since 1999
specializing in architecture and design of high usage web
and mobile systems. Recently he was behind the architecture,
design and development of a gold award winning Mobile
Application Management system and is currently Rivo Softwares
Technical Architect. Davoc is also a keen musician, avid cricket
fan and loves travelling.
M@davocbradley www.rivosoftware.co.uk
Dean Churchill / AT&T
Dean works on secure design, development and testing of
applications at AT&T. Over the past several years he has focused
on driving security requirements in mobile applications, for
consumer applications as well as internal AT&T mobile applica-
tions. He has been busy supporting AT&Ts emerging Mobile
Health and Digital Life product lines. He lives in the Seattle
area and enjoys downhill skiing and fy fshing.
Julian Harty / Commercetest
Julian was hired by Google in 2006 as their frst Test Engineer
outside the USA responsible for testing Googles mobile
applications. He helped others, inside and outside Google, to
learn how to do likewise; and he ended up writing the frst
book on the topic. He subsequently worked for eBay where his
mission was to revamp testing globally. Currently he is working
independently, writing mobile apps & suitable test automation
tools, and helping others to improve their mobile apps. He is
also writing a new book on testing and test automation for
mobile apps.
M@julianharty
246
About the Authors
Bob Heubel / Immersion Corp.
Bob Heubel is a haptic technology evangelist with Immersion
Corporation specializing in helping developers implement what
is known as force-feedback, tactile-feedback or rumble-feedback
effects. He holds a number of patents in the feld of Haptics and
has spent more than fourteen years working with developers,
carriers and hardware OEMs to design and program tactile sensa-
tions into game and interaction experiences. You may have felt
some of Bobs work in Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: Vice
City & Max Payne for Android. Bob graduated from UC Berkeley in
1989 with a BA in English Literature.
M@bobheubel www.immersion.com
Ovidiu Iliescu / Enough Software
After developing desktop and web-based applications for
several years, Ovidiu decided mobile software was more to his
liking. He is involved in Java ME and Blackberry development
for Enough Software since 2009. He gets excited by anything
related to effcient coding, algorithms and computer graphics.
M@ovvyblabla www.enough.de www.ovidiuiliescu.com
Alex Jonsson / MoSync
Alex likes anything mobile, both apps and web technologies as
well as cleverly connecting physical stuff to digital stuff. He
holds a Doctorate in Computer Science and still gives lectures
now and then. Alex has an eclectic urge to create new values
by fnding new combinations of things, transferring knowledge
between disciplines and exploiting aspects of communication
and media with the aim of bringing people together. Alex is CTO
at MoSync Inc.
M @dr_alexj www.mosync.com
247
About the Authors
Matos Kapetanakis / VisionMobile
As marketing manager of VisionMobile his activities include
managing the VisionMobile website and blog, as well as coming
up with the concepts and marcoms for the illustrations and
infographics published by the company. Matos is also the
project manager of the Developer Economics research series, as
well as other developer research projects.
www.visionmobile.com
Michael Koch / Enough Software
Michael has developed software since 1988 and joined the
development team at Enough Software in 2005. He holds the
position of CTO. He has led numerous mobile app development
projects (mainly for Java ME, Windows Mobile and BlackBerry)
and he is also an expert in server technology. Michael is an
open source enthusiast involved in many free projects, such as
GNU classpath.
M@linux_pinguin www.enough.de
Daniel Kranz / Joule
Daniel is a multi-channel strategist with consultancy, agency
and tech background. Previously a technical project manager at
one of the leading advertising agencies and a mobile solution
consultant for a mobile and multi-channel web specialist, he
now works in global strategic planning advising brands on how
to integrate mobile as part of their overall strategy.
www.jouleww.com
248
About the Authors
Tim Messerschmidt / PayPal
Tim has been developing Android applications since 2008.
After studying business informatics, he joined the Berlin-based
Neofonie Mobile as Mobile Software Developer in 2011 and
has consulted for Samsung Germany as Developer Advocate for
Android and bada since 2010. In 2012 he moved to PayPal as a
Developer Evangelist. He is passionate about Mobile Payments,
UI, UX and Android development in general. Furthermore he
loves to speak at conferences, writing articles and all kind of
social media.
M@seraandroid & @PayPalEuroDev
www.timmesserschmidt.de
Gary Readfern-Gray / RNIB
Gary is an Accessibility specialist working for the Royal
National Institute of the Blind. Located in the Innovation
Unit, he has a passion for the mobile space and particularly
for enabling accessible app development across a range of
platforms by engaging with developer communities.
www.rnib.org.uk
Alexander Repty
Alexander has been developing software for Mac OS X since
2004. When the iPhone SDK was released in 2008, he was
among the frst registered developers for the program. As an
employee of Enough Software, he worked on a number of apps,
one of which was featured in an Apple TV commercial. He has
written a series of articles on iPhone development. As of April
2011, he started his own business as an independent software
developer and contractor.
M@arepty www.alexrepty.com
249
About the Authors
Marcus Ross
Marcus is a freelance developer and trainer. After 10 years
of being an employee in several companies, he is now doing
SQLBI Projects and everything mobile cross platform. He is a
regular author in the German magazine mobileWebDeveloper.
In his spare time, he is often seen at conferences, speaking on
mobile subjects and JavaScript. He also writes articles, books &
tweets on mobile development.
M@zahlenhelfer www.zahlenhelfer-consulting.de
Thibaut Rouffneau / WIP
Community and passion builder with a mobile edge, for the past
5 years Thibaut has been working to move the mobile developer
community towards greater openness and exchange. Thibaut is
VP for Developer Partnerships at WIP, the organizer of Droidcon
London. He is an enthusiastic speaker on mobile topics and has
been heard around the world.
M@sthibautr www.wipconnector.com
Michel Shuqair / AppValley
Starting with black and white WAP applications, iMode and SMS
games in the 1990s, Michel moved to lead the mobile social
network m.wauwee.com. Serving almost 1,000,000 members,
Michel was supported by a team of Symbian, iPhone, Black-
Berry and Android specialists at headquarters in Amsterdam.
m.wauwee.com was acquired by MobiLuck.
www.appvalley.nl
250
About the Authors
Shailen Sobhee / Intel Corporation
Shailen is currently pursuing his Masters degree in Computa-
tional Science and Engineering at the Technical University of
Munich. Shortly after his internship at Enough Software, he
joined Intel in Munich as a working student. At Intel, Shailen
is developing a testing platform for LTE modems. With a strong
computer science background, Shailen fnds interest in new
technologies that can potentially have a huge positive impact
on the future.
M@shailensobhee
Marco Tabor / Enough Software
Marco is responsible for PR, sales and much more at Enough
Software. He coordinates this project, taking, as well, the
responsibility of fnding sponsors and merging the input
provided by the mobile community.
M@enoughmarco www.enough.de
Ian Thain / SAP
Ian is a Mobile Evangelist at SAP, though he started 13 years
ago with Sybase Inc. He regularly addresses audiences all over
the world providing mobile knowledge and experience for the
Enterprise. He also writes articles, blogs & tweets on Enterprise
Mobility and is passionate about the Developer & Mobile
Experience in the Corporate/Business world.
M@ithain scn.sap.com/blogs/ithain/ www.sap.com
251
About the Authors
Robert Virkus / Enough Software
Robert has been working in the mobile space since 1998. He
experienced Java fragmentation frst hand when developing and
porting a mobile client on the Siemens SL42i, the frst mass
market phone with an embedded Java VM. After this experience
he launched the Open Source J2ME Polish project in 2004.
J2ME Polish helps developers overcome device fragmentation.
He is the founder and CEO of Enough Software, the company
behind J2ME Polish, many mobile apps, and this book.
M@robert_virkus www.enough.de www.j2mepolish.org
1
3
t
h
e
d
i
t
i
o
n

an initiative by
sponsored by
A NON-COM
M
ERCIAL, COM
M
UNITY-DRIVEN
OVERVIEW
ON M
OBILE TECHNOLOGIES FOR
DEVELOPERS AND DECISION-M
AKERS.
Daniel Hudson, www.webtechman.com
A spectacular piece of work! You will be astonished by how incredibly fast
you can establish your presence in the mobile market with the simple steps
explained in this guide.
Monika Lischke, Community Manager, Intel AppUp developer program
Extremely helpful content, also for non-developers.
And the design is nothing but fantastic!
www.enough.de
www.wipconnector.com

Mobile DevGuide 13 - Gulde For Mobile Developer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mobile DevGuide 13 - Gulde For Mobile Developer

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Mobile DevGuide 13 - Gulde For Mobile Developer

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

You might also like