Mobile App Testing

Whenever a company has a major shakeup (like a change of ownership), it tends to set off a chain reaction throughout operations, affecting everything from marketing to sales, to development, and yes, even testing.

Case in point: Palm, which was recently acquired by tech giant HP, will continue to make the Palm Pre and other devices we all know and love. That much has stayed the same. But as we’ve seen from the new webOS2.0, that’s about the only thing that hasn’t changed.

Evidence can be found at PreCentral.net, which as the latest specs from the new mobile operating system. There’s plenty of new features that developers and testers should familiarize themselves with – so let’s start from the beginning.

• Palm’s multitasking ‘card’ metaphor is getting a refresh with Stacks
• Universal Search is getting majorly beefed up with ‘Quick Actions,’ will be opened to developers, and rebranded as Just Type
• Apps can have custom Touchstone at-a-glance views with Exhibition
• Synergy is opening up to developers
• HTML5 and Javascript support is much improved
• Hybrid PDK/SDK apps will be fully supported

Stacks
A new multi-tasking feature known as “Stacks” will enable users to quickly sort through applications in use. Interestingly, developers will not have to worry about about enabling the functionality themselves. Rather, the operating system will automatically sort them based on prior activities. So expect this feature to consume a greater amount of testing’s time, as opposed to that of developers.

Read more…

From IntoMobile.com:

On the heels of their successful iPhone app (launched last September), Starbucks is announcing a new version of the app dedicated to BlackBerry users. Not only will the new app let you check your Starbucks card balance, but you’ll be able to reload it, and even PAY for your drinks via a barcode scan in-store. Very cool.

Read the entire article.

Apps! Apps! And more apps! As the summer starts winding down here at uTest, we’ve been able to take a step back and a closer look at the big trends emerging all around us. What has been most apparent is the tremendous spike in mobile app testing needs. From top marketing agencies to retail giants to social gaming startups, our customers are developing more mobile apps to grow (or define) their businesses than ever before.

According to Game Developer Research, 25% of game developers are now making mobile games – that’s up from a mere 12% in 2009!

In addition, a survey conducted by iGR found that more than half (53%) of US mobile developers are building apps for Apple’s iPhone OS. BlackBerry was the next most popular, followed by Android and Windows Mobile.

In response to this incredible momentum, this year marks the launch of Mobile App World 2010, where global leaders in mobile tech and app development and entrepreneurs will gather to network and learn about the latest developments and innovations.

uTest will be among the outstanding line-up of more than 40 speakers, which includes Google, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange Global and the BBC, who will be discussing the future of mobile apps. Shoot us a note if you’ll be around!

Note: If you’re looking for some cool, new mobile apps, check out Mobile App World’s August Apps Of The Month.

And what would that edge be, you ask? Support for automated testing. An unnamed Microsoft blogger recently argued that it is far cheaper to develop on Windows Phone than it is for Android, and laid out seven reasons why. Among the arguments we find this:

Windows Phone supports automated testing for Quality Assurance (QA) purposes. Android doesn’t, so Android partners are on their own when it comes to that phase of handset development.

There are other reasons why the author believes developers will gravitate towards the Windows platform. Here are a few quotes we picked up courtesy of Paul Thurrott at WindowsItPro.com:

Read more…

As the new iPhone 4 hits stores in Israel later this month, more and more attention will be given to the iPhone’s most remarkable feature: APPS! Of course, apps are one of the primary reasons for the latest mobile phone frenzy that has taken the industry by storm. They have revolutionized the cell phone into a portable computing powerhouse. As mobile phones move away from simple communication devices, apps are transforming the mobile phone into a multipurpose tool that can affect every facet of our lives.

So with that in mind, here are the top 5 apps that you must have on your new iPhone 4:

1. Ha’aretz: Stay connected with what’s happening in the world around you! Receive the latest breaking news and headline stories in real time with this app as it happens in Israel and throughout the world.
2. iTranslate: Konichiwa….. Salaam……. Ariverdechi.  Translating words from Hebrew is a breeze with this unique app that lets you translate words and sentences from over 50 languages. Impress your friends and loved ones the next time you order something from French restaurant or when your order in Chinese.
3. Aroundme: Find anything from dairy restaurants to gas stations. This app uses GPS technology to find your location and then lists the nearest locations of your search. Your travel experiences will never be the same as everything you could want or need to find using a map or the Internet is now at your fingertips wherever you go.
4. Yad2: From homes to cars to LCD TV’s, you can buy anything your heart desires with this app on Israel’s most famous online 2^nd hand store. This App lets you scroll through the thousands of 2^nd hand items for sale with a simple to use GUI.
5. Israel Money: This app will allow you to make calls from your iPhone in Israel to over 20 countries overseas with absolutely zero charges. There are no charges! No commitments! And no registration!

What’s your favorite iPhone App? How has it helped your daily life? Share with the community which Apps are changing the way we use our phones.

(This post was written by Hillel Hurwitz, Community & Content Manager, at Blonde 2.0.)

TechRepublic recently posted an insightful interview with Jake Gostylo, author of The Great Land Grab (or TGLG) game for Android phones, in which they discussed the future of mobile applications. The theme of the interview dealt with the meritocracy of the mobile app world. In other words, regardless of how much money you have, if you produce a quality mobile app that users want, you will be successful.

Gostylo also talks extensively about common problems encountered in the development process (something mobile app testers would be wise to take notice of) but his most interesting response came here:

What is the future of mobile app development? Will it remain accessible with a low cost of entry for the small developer or shop, or will the big publishing houses come in and drive the little guys out?

I don’t think big publishing houses will be able to drive out the little guys. The market is in a strange state where you have millions of ready user platforms and a culture where people expect free or cheap apps.

Big publishers are probably banging their heads trying to figure out a stable way to get people to pay the money required to justify a high budget title. At the same time, the hardware and, especially the screen real estate, don’t really lend themselves to need big budgets for apps.

I think that if you are backed by money to make a slick, sexy app, then it will be received well. I also think that if you are one guy, and you have a crazy idea, then this is a good place to try it out and I think that you can do well in the mobile world.

Read the rest of the interview.

A few weeks back, guest blogger Anuj Gupta laid out the basics of mobile operating systems and platforms, where he covered Symbian, iPhone, Windows Mobile and RIM OS among others. Here is part II of the article. In this post, Anuj dives into BREW, J2me, Maemo, Limo Qtopia and others.

Anuj is a Creative Writer, Marcom Consultant and a Technology enthusiast with 4+ years of experience in Mobile technologies and Advertising. He undertakes various freelance assignments apart from his job as a marcom executive in an IT firm. Read more of his writings at http://www.techmodish.blogspot.com/.

BREW (Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless) from Qualcomm

Brew is an application development platform originally developed for CDMA mobile phones, but it also supports GSM  for some devices. It debuted in September 2001 as a software platform. It can download and run small programs for playing games, sending messages, sharing photos, and the like. The main advantage of BREW platforms is that the application developers can easily port their applications between all Qualcomm devices. BREW acts between the application and the wireless device on-chip operating system in order to allow programmers to develop applications without needing to code for system interface or understand wireless applications.

J2me by Sun

Java 2 Micro Edition (J2ME) is Sun’s version of Java aimed at machines with limited hardware resources such as PDAs, cell phones, and other consumer electronic and embedded devices. J2ME is aimed at machines with as little as 128KB of RAM and with processors a lot less powerful than those used on typical desktop and server machines. J2ME actually consists of a set of profiles. Each profile is defined for a particular type of device — cell phones, PDAs, microwave ovens, etc. — and consists of a minimum set of class libraries required for the particular type of device and a specification of a Java virtual machine required to support the device.

The most common of these are the Mobile Information Device Profile aimed at mobile devices, such as cell phones, and the Personal Profile aimed at consumer products and embedded devices like set-top boxes and PDAs. Profiles are subsets of configurations, of which there are currently two: the Connected Limited Device Configuration (CLDC) and the Connected Device Configuration (CDC).

There are more than 2 billion Java ME enabled mobile phones and PDAs.

Maemo from Nokia

Maemo is a software platform developed by Nokia for smartphones and Internet Tablets. It is based on the Debian operating system.

Read more…

Loose lips sink ships….but they sell a boat load of mobile devices.

I call it the leak strategy. Basically, if you want the masses clamoring for your soon-to-be-released mobile device, you’ll need to “leak” it through the appropriate channels. A press release and commercial just won’t cut it anymore. Of course, there’s a lot that goes into this type of marketing maneuver, but here are my two pieces of advice:

1. Keep your PR firm in the dark: For a successful leak, your PR firm must have plausible denability. That is to say when the news breaks, you want them to be in damage control mode – and it needs to be genuine. People can easily sense this type of PR apprehension, which only lends credibility to your leak and builds awareness around your product. If the leak was the brainchild of the PR firm (like when Apple “left” the iPhone 4 in bar), then they must do their best to feign concern. I recommend a sham press conference with lots of “no comments.”

2. Leak the actual device, not just the details: Your leak will gain much greater credibility if it involves the actual device, not just the specs. A picture is worth a thousand words, which is worth a few dozen purchases, at least. A Youtube video could seal the deal.

I bring this up because, in the last 24 hours, we’ve read about leaks from Android (2.2), Microsoft’s Windows 7 phone, the Chrome tablet and others. These types of leaks are becoming more and more common, and I wanted to make a few suggestions that would keep them lively, entertaining, and above all, believable.

Did you know that 46% of Blackberry users do NOT have a single game on their device? Sad, but true. That stat comes directly from Mobile Entertainment’s 157 Mobile App Stats You Should Know About. For mobile app testers trying to gain a clearer picture of the mobile landscape, this 38-slide presentation should come in rather handy. So without further delay, here are the 157 mobile app stats you need to know:

From ABCnews.com: “The so-called digital wallet is about to get a big test. Bank of America and Visa plan to begin testing a program in New York next month that lets customers use their smart phones as credit cards.

Customers will install a small chip in their phones, and then wave their phones in front of a scanner when paying, similar to contactless credit cards.”

Of the millions of apps that have (or will be) released, none will require more extensive testing than mobile payment systems.

Make an argument against that. I dare you.