Tuesday 10 July 2012

SOURCE: crackberry.com




*UPDATE* - We reached out to RIM to get clarification on the BlackBerry 10 launching in January comment and here is what we got back - "We obviously want it to launch as soon as possible and that’s the point Thorsten was making, but as we’ve stated before, the goal is Q1 calendar 2013 and that remains our goal. "
This afternoon I had a chance to read through the entire interview that our friend Al Sacco from CIO.com did with RIM CEO Thorsten Heins. It's a great read, and in my opinion it is one of Thorsten's best interviews yet. It's a long interview, but definitely worth your time.
I really wish RIM would have done as good a job communicating on the Q1 conference call so that they wouldn't need to redeem themselves like this now. But it is what it is.
RIM really needs to keep hammering its message home. Because it seems that no matter what they say there is a steady flow of misinformation about the company. Just today, I was watching BNN (Canada's business TV channel) and two guests were discussing RIM. They are both professionals who should be more careful than to spew garbage. Yet one of the guests said RIM is now burning cash. He said it as if it's a fact, which is completely wrong.
So, I went through Al Sacco's interview with Thorsten and here are the bits that I thought were most interesting.
BlackBerry 10 comes in January. Remember how I commented on Thorsten's CBC radio interview a few days ago? In that interview Thorsten said the BB10 delay was only two months. And now, today, in the CIO.com interview he's saying the release is scheduled for January. His exact quote was, "In January with the full touch device and the QWERTY coming, I think we will reinstall faith in RIM."
A QWERTY device comes very soon after an all-touch device. Thorsten commented a few times that there will be only a short wait between the first and second BB10 devices. And it sounds like both are currently scheduled for January, which is great.
RIM really feels they need to crack the all-touch market. Thorsten acknowledges that RIM is losing market share globally. He believes the QWERTY market has a much slower growth rate than the all-touch market. So RIM needs to crack this market to recover (especially in the USA). Kevin has written about this before, and it's obvious RIM agrees.
Thorsten has experience with turnarounds. This is something I didn't realize. RIM's CEO was at Siemens running the optical transport division at a time when it was losing money. According to Thorsten, "It was an aged portfolio, outdated, under heavy attack from Chinese competitors, and we turned it around. One and a half, two years later, it turned profitable, and then it became the most profitable division of Siemens actually."
RIM says carriers will support BB10 to avoid the iOS / Android duopoly. This is the most relevant quote from Thorsten: And also, the carriers are supporting us, Al, because they see a duopoly. iPhone and iOS are proprietary and basically closed to them. And they see Android now as actually kind of monopolized by Samsung". This is a strong statement, and it's certainly true that Samsung is dominating Android these days.
Why would carriers want to be controlled by Apple and Samsung? Bring on the choice. Bring on BB10.

Monday 2 July 2012

BB10 Delay from a Developer's Perspective


Source: Crackberry.com


We know that the latest earnings call from RIM wasn't the best news. Both Kevin and Chris have already given their thoughts and opinions so I'm not going to bore you with more of the same.

Clearly I wasn't pleased with the announced delay of BlackBerry 10 but who would be. However, one thing crossed my mind last night and that is the developers who would be affected by the setback.
We have seen from the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour that devs are extremely keen to work with the forthcoming platform. Not just current BlackBerry developers, but also ones that currently work on other operating systems. Many of these have been working towards getting a BB10 application ready for Q4 this year. Now that the OS will not be available until Q1 2013 this means those devs will not be able to make the money they expected quite so soon.
So I thought I had better have a word with a developer about this and get his views on the matter. And who better than Jerome Carty from Kisai Labs, who developed the amazing Twitter app Blaq for the BlackBerry PlayBook.
You can check out Jerome's thoughts on the latest news below:


CB: The RIM Q1 2012 earnings call may have been along the lines of what we thought was going to happen but I for one wasn't expecting to hear the news that BlackBerry 10 was going to be delayed. Were you?
JC: I did not expect a delay in the launch of BlackBerry 10 devices and I was a little shocked when I read about.


CB: Being a successful developer already how do you feel about the setback?
JC: The delay in BlackBerry 10 may or may not impact current interest in products that are already in market. However, if RIM doesn't think it's ready, I have faith that they've learned some things from the past and know
not to push it out this time around.

CB: The BB10 Jam World Tour has been a great success. Do you think the news will discourage developers from committing to the BlackBerry 10 platform?
JC: The BB10 Jam World Tour has been a great driver of interest in the platform. With the delay, RIM has more work to do to continue to encourage developers to build for the new platform. The best thing they can do right now is give developers updated tools sooner.

CB: I suspect many BlackBerry fans will have lost a little faith in RIM and feel disheartened. From a developers point of view do you think this will have a knock on effect on RIM's business or do you think the TeamBlackBerry
spirit will overcome the BB10 delay?
JC: It will affect the business in the short-term. However, no one knows what the long-term implications are. I'm hoping for the best. RIM is on the right path but they need to put a turbo on the vehicle that's getting them there and they'll be fine. Also, I wish the best to those who were unfortunately let go.

So there you have it, not all doom and gloom. Yes, we want BlackBerry 10 ASAP and RIM need to get their act together but if the developers still have some faith I believe that is half the battle. 
BB Dev Blog post by Alec Saunders


Over the last twelve months, I hope you’ve all seen the changes in how we interact with you, our BlackBerry® developers.
You’ve seen us commit to you in a way that many have remarked upon, starting last year with initiatives including BlackBerry® DevCon Americas, the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet and BlackBerry® 10 Dev Alpha seeding programs, hackathons, BlackBerry® 10 Jam in Orlando, and the BlackBerry 10 Jam World Tour that we’ve been running across 23 cities. Some of you have even said that this “new” Research In Motion® (RIM®) is the best platform company for developers to work with today.
Earlier this year when Thorsten Heins took the reins as our new CEO, he was very open about the approach the company would be taking to this new platform launch. Yesterday, he delivered some tough news: a shift in timeline for the launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform until the first quarter of 2013.
When we in the Developer Relations group were informed of the news, our first thoughts were with you – our development community – who are continuing to work with us to build great new applications for BlackBerry 10. You’ve got businesses to run, rent to pay, and investors to answer to. You are the folks who have skin in the game now, and aren’t just waiting for a new phone personally. We know this delay affects you, and we’re sorry.
Despite yesterday’s announcement, I want you to know that we remain strongly committed to you. While RIM continues to work towards the launch of BlackBerry 10, our engagement levels and plans for our joint success have not changed.
The BlackBerry 10 platform is designed to offer developers the tools they need to drive a successful business, including simplified rich development; the ability to create, deliver and share powerful visually stunning content, quickly; and multiple paths toward monetization. We are committed to this launch, and to continuing to work with you to make this launch a success. We will work to ensure that the launch is executed brilliantly, with a complete platform that delivers the best experience for our customers.
Over the last few months, the level of excitement, dedication and pride from our developer partners and from our employees has been both gratifying and humbling for me.
My pledge to you is that we will continue to work with you, to invest with you, to create opportunities with you, to be successful with you, and to be worthy of the trust and support you have given us.
Alec Saunders, VP Developer Relations
Research In Motion

Saturday 30 June 2012

BB10 delayed to 1st Qtr 2013

So what? I would rather wait out for something awesome than settle for second best. Will continue to develop my 2nd app. Plan to have it launched by 31st August 2012. I'm behind you, RIM!!!

Friday 29 June 2012

First post... Why did it take me so long to log in my first post? Because I've been busy finalizing my first attempt at an App for BB10. Have little experience in programming (C, C++ and HTML), but chose HTML as it looks easier...

CONCEPTION
Dead Pixel / Stuck Pixel Tester and Fixer

REALIZATION
Pixel Force

HTML CODE
Refer to bottom of post

SCREENSHOTS
Here are some screenshots of the App running in Ripple




BUILD
Pixel Force v1.0.0.1

PLATFORM
Javascript written on Taco HTML Edit (Mac OSX)
Tested on Ripple Emulator (Chrome extension)
Packaged by Blackberry Webworks SDK

CHRONOLOGY
Framework begun on: 5th June 2012
Framework completed on: 21st June 2012
Testing and debugging completed on: 25th June 2012
Packaging and Signing completed on: 29th June 2012
Submitted to App World completed on: Waiting for RIM to respond to Vendor Application

All in all, I think it's a good first attempt at an App. Already have my idea on my next App, which will be a student reference app for Mathematics. I'm an engineer, so I excel in my maths :)

CODE

CODE
<!DOCTYPE HTML>
<html>
<head>
<title>PixelForceV2</title>

<!--Header Graphics Start-->
<canvas id="OpeningPage" width="750" height="180" style="border:1px solid #000000;">
</canvas>

<script type="text/javascript">
var c=document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var ctx=c.getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle="#003366";
ctx.fillRect(0,0,750,200);

var c=document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var ctx=c.getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle="#FFFFFF";
ctx.fillRect(580,10,160,160);

var c=document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var ctx=c.getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle="#FF0000";
ctx.fillRect(590,20,70,70);

var c=document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var ctx=c.getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle="#FFCC00";
ctx.fillRect(660,20,70,70);

var c=document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var ctx=c.getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle="#00FF00";
ctx.fillRect(590,90,70,70);

var c=document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var ctx=c.getContext("2d");
ctx.fillStyle="#336699";
ctx.fillRect(660,90,70,70);
</script>

<script>
window.onload = function() {
var canvas = document.getElementById("OpeningPage");
var context = canvas.getContext("2d");

context.font = "85pt Arial";
context.fillStyle = "#FFFFFF";
context.fillText("PixelForce",10,91);

context.font = "50pt Arial";
context.fillStyle = "#FFFFFF";
context.fillText("by Otacon",15,156);

};
</script>
<!--Header Graphics End--->

<!--Accordion Body Start-->
<script type="text/javascript" src="TacoComponents/TSWAccordion.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="TacoComponents/TSWDomUtils.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="TacoComponents/TSWAccordion.css" />

<!-- BEGIN COMPONENT Accordion - Taco HTML Edit -->
<style type="text/css">
#myAccordion.tswAccordion
{
width: 752px;
height: 1078px;
background-color: #FFFFFF;
}
#myAccordion .tswAccordionActiveSection, #myAccordion .tswAccordionInactiveSection
{
background-color: #FFFFFF;
width: 100%;
height: 1080px;
}
#myAccordion .tswAccordionHeader
{
text-align: center;
padding: 10px;
font-family: Arial;
font-size: 30.0px;
}
#myAccordion .tswAccordionActiveSection .tswAccordionHeader
{
background-color: #7086aa;
color: #ffffff;
border: 5px solid #003366;
}
#myAccordion .tswAccordionInactiveSection .tswAccordionHeader
{
background-color: #acccfc;
color: #000000;
border: 5px solid #003366;
}
#myAccordion .tswAccordionHeader
{
}
#myAccordion .tswAccordionBody
{
padding: 10px;
}
</style>

<!-- END COMPONENT Accordion - Taco HTML Edit -->

<script>
function WhiteImage()
{
<img src="White.jpg"/>
}
</script>

<script type="text/javascript" src="TacoComponents/TSWRotatingContent.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="TacoComponents/TSWUtils.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="TacoComponents/TSWRotatingContent.css" />

<!-- BEGIN COMPONENT Rotating Content - Taco HTML Edit -->
<style type="text/css">
#StuckFlash.tswRotatingContent { width: 320px; }
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentHeader { width: 320px; }
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentTitle 
{
font-size: 1.0px;
width: 256px;
}
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentPageMarkers { width: 60px; }
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentBody
{
background-color: #ffffff;
border-color: #FFFFFF;
width: 320px;
height: 300px;
}
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentBody div.tswRotatingContentPanelVisible,
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentBody div.tswRotatingContentPanelHidden,
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentBody div.tswRotatingContentPanelFadingOut
{
background-color: #ffffff;
width: 312px;
height: 292px;
padding: 4px;
}
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentPageMarkerSelected div
{
background: url('TacoComponents/Images/TSWPageMarkerSelected_999999.png');
/* IE6 only */
*-background: none;
*-filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='TacoComponents/Images/TSWPageMarkerSelected_999999.png', sizingMethod='crop');
}
#StuckFlash .tswRotatingContentPageMarkerUnselected div
{
background: url('TacoComponents/Images/TSWPageMarkerUnselected_999999.png');
/* IE6 only */
*-background: none;
*-filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='TacoComponents/Images/TSWPageMarkerUnselected_999999.png', sizingMethod='crop');
}
</style>

<!-- END COMPONENT Rotating Content - Taco HTML Edit -->

<!-- BEGIN COMPONENT Rotating Content - Taco HTML Edit -->
<style type="text/css">
#myRotatingContent.tswRotatingContent { width: 768px; }
#myRotatingContent .tswRotatingContentHeader { width: 768px; }
#myRotatingContent .tswRotatingContentTitle 
{
}
#myRotatingContent .tswRotatingContentBody
{
background-color: #ffffff;
border-color: #cccccc;
width: 768px;
height: 1280px;
}
#myRotatingContent .tswRotatingContentBody div.tswRotatingContentPanelVisible,
#myRotatingContent .tswRotatingContentBody div.tswRotatingContentPanelHidden,
#myRotatingContent .tswRotatingContentBody div.tswRotatingContentPanelFadingOut
{
background-color: #ffffff;
width: 768px;
height: 1280px;
padding: 0px;
}
</style>

<!-- END COMPONENT Rotating Content - Taco HTML Edit -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="TacoComponents/TSWVideoPlayer.js"></script>
</head>


<body>

<!-- BEGIN COMPONENT Accordion - Taco HTML Edit -->
<div id="myAccordion" class="tswAccordion">
<div class="tswAccordionInactiveSection">
<div class="tswAccordionHeader">PixelForce Overview</div>
<div class="tswAccordionBody">
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">Are you irritated by a black dot on your screen that won't go away? Looking at a beautiful picture but one pixel is always stuck in a different color? You are suffering from Dead Pixels / Stuck Pixels.   
</span></p>
<p><center><img style="border: 5px solid #000000;" src="images/DeadPixel.jpg" width="548" height="300" /></center></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">PixelForce is designed to help you identify whether your screen have any Dead Pixels / Stuck Pixels. PixelForce also performs a procedure to try and unstuck a Stuck Pixel. To begin, select one of the tests below.
</span></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 30.0px; color: #FFFFFF;">WARNING:
</span></b></p>
<p><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 30.0px; color: #000000;">WARNING:
</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0px; color: #000000;">PixelForce uses rapidly flashing images to force stuck pixels to become unstuck. These images might trigger epileptic symptoms in some users. Please do not stare at the screen while PixelForce is in operation to unstuck pixels.
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0px; color: #000000;">If you are unsure on whether rapidly flashing images have any effect on you, please refrain from using this software. Otacon is not responsible for any unfortunate incidents that might happen from the usage of this software.
</span></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="tswAccordionInactiveSection">
<div class="tswAccordionHeader">Dead Pixel Test</div>
<div class="tswAccordionBody">
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">Dead Pixels are pixels that are defected and will never show light. These Dead Pixels will show up as black dots on the screen as can be identified by looking at a completely white screen and identifying any black dots.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">The image below shows a close-up of an LCD screen, showing a dead green subpixel as a black rectangle.</span></p>
<p><center><img style="border: 5px solid #000000;" src="images/DeadPixel2.jpg" width="548" height="400" /></center></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">To determine whether your screen has any Dead Pixels, please press the 'Begin Test' button below. </span>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">Swipe your screen back to return to the program.</span></p>
<button style="background:url('images/TestWhite.png');width:142px;height:80px" onclick=window.location="images/White.jpg"></button>
<button style="background:url('images/TestRed.png');width:142px;height:80px" onclick=window.location="images/Red.jpg"></button>
<button style="background:url('images/TestYellow.png');width:142px;height:80px" onclick=window.location="images/Yellow.jpg"></button>
<button style="background:url('images/TestBlue.png');width:142px;height:80px" onclick=window.location="images/Blue.jpg"></button>
<button style="background:url('images/TestGreen.png');width:142px;height:80px" onclick=window.location="images/Green.jpg"></button>

</div>
</div>
<div class="tswAccordionInactiveSection">
<div class="tswAccordionHeader">Stuck Pixel Test</div>
<div class="tswAccordionBody">
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">Stuck pixels, unlike dead pixels, have been reported by LCD screen owners to disappear, and there are several popular methods purported to fix them, one of it which is cycling the color value of the stuck pixel rapidly. </span></p>
<p><center><img style="border: 5px solid #000000;" src="images/StuckPixel.jpg" width="548" height="350" /></center></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">To attempt to fix Stuck Pixels, please press the 'Begin Test' button below. The test takes only a few minutes. Please tilt your device to landscape orientation for best effect.</span></p>

<p><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 25.0px; color: #000000;">WARNING:
</span></b></p>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 20.0px; color: #000000;">PixelForce uses rapidly flashing images to force stuck pixels to become unstuck. These images might trigger epileptic symptoms in some users. Please do not stare at the screen while PixelForce is in operation to unstuck pixels.
</span></p>
<p><center><button style="background:url('images/BeginTest.png');width:142px;height:80px" onclick=window.location="PixelFixer2.mp4"></button></center></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
var accordion = tswAccordionGetForId('myAccordion');
</script>

<!-- END COMPONENT Accordion - Taco HTML Edit -->

</body>
</html>