I received the following email earlier this week from developer Dragos Filipovici. He wanted to share his story about an application he recently created for BlackBerry 10.

As I read the email, it was clear to me that his success was due to the strengths of the BlackBerry 10 HTML5/WebWorks platform and the social power of the open source & blog communities.  As such, I wanted to share.

Some of you might already know Dragos online as BglowDragosh. Before getting into BlackBerry 10 app development, he acquired UI design experience in building BlackBerry themes.

Hi Adam,

About a year and a half ago I tried app development using the Java SDK. I got stuck in the complex ways to achieve simple tasks (even creating a basic UI), the not always clear documentation, and the long deployment processes for OS5-7 devices. Granted, I was still a newbie in Java. 

However, I was (and still am) a JavaScript newbie as well – 6 months ago when I first started learning web app development. 

I believe the biggest factor helping me successfully transition to BlackBerry 10 app development was played by the new tools available, as nothing helps one learn like applying new knowledge into an actual tangible project, if the tools are available. For me, the WebWorks framework, the rich documentation, the forums and Github repositories, even the way the developer.blackberry.com website is designed, helped me immensely as a very-beginner developer. And all of BlackBerry’s efforts in the past year to engage with developers have kept me going, and the company’s new platform vibe kept me excited. 

After getting to know WebWorks and then bbUI.js, the learning curve for me was made much easier. I’ve often sent in questions in the WebWorks & bbUI.js Github repositories and most often it was my own code errors trying to achieve simple things, but I got helped each time anyway. Now I post actual API bug reports and sometimes request API features, as users request new features from my app. And I love this formed cycle which I believe was, for my personal experience, a recipe for success.

Which brings me to the present:

So far, it took me about 14 weeks of (intense) work on my first WebWorks app. Yesterday, CrackBerry.com review my app, and in several hours Workahol became the #1 top paid app in BlackBerry World. I am overwhelmed with user feedback suggesting new features – which I will endeavor to implement. It’s great that we are able to achieve such diverse functionality and performant UI without even using the Native SDK, and no user has complained so far (by invoking the old web apps < native argument). 

Lastly, if there’s any way I can help – either by speaking about my experience, or to promote this platform, BlackBerry World or the BlackBerry 10 user community in any way, please let me know.  

Sincerely, 

Kind Regards,

Dragos Filipovici (@BglowDragosh)

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

If you get a chance, check out Workahol in BlackBerry World today. Do you have a success story building for BlackBerry? We’d like to hear – let us know in the comments below.

Previously, I talked about how to use the MapView APIs to embed your own layers on top of it. While that was nice and very flexible, it still required some work to get basic pins and bubbles going. In BlackBerry 10.1 we have updated the APIs to support push pins and bubbles out of the box. This means you can now use the native APIs such as GeoLocation and MapData to create and manage push pins with custom icons as well as assign a name and description to each that shows up in the bubble.

MapView with pins and bubbles

The bubbles can contain a title, a description as well as an action button. Signals are emitted when the text or the action button is tapped by the user so that applications can carry out the right action in that context. Typical actions would be to show more details about the location or starting a turn-by-turn navigation to that location. Oh and before I forget, did I mention that the title and description supports html tags? Yes it does. You can use html tags to format the text or even insert hyperlinks to open webpages.

A bubble with an HTML hyperlink

I guess I have been saving the best for last. One feature that I am really excited about is the ability to set the MapView to follow a specific pin. This is extremely useful if you want to track friends on a map or keep the user always centered on the map. Simply update the coordinates of the followed pin and watch the map automatically move with it. A full sample app can be downloaded from here.

Finally, a big shout-out to our maps team for their hard work – the MapView now has much better performance, faster tile loading and packs the features most of us need. Let’s get to work and put some more maps in our apps. If you missed the session at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2013, please check out the content on-demand – JAM69 - Maps in your Apps.

…and here’s a little Story Maker video that our own Melanie Masson put together!

The BlackBerry 10 app ecosystem is thriving today because of the awesome work of you, our developer community. On Wednesday, May 15th, we celebrated the winners of the 2013 BlackBerry Developer Community Awards at the BlackBerry Live Tweet Up. Thank you again for the over 200 nominations and thousands of votes on HashAwards and on Twitter. Here are your 2013 winners!

Must Follow BlackBerry Developer on Twitter - Joel Ortiz

Must Follow BlackBerry Developer Evangelist - Luca Filigheddu

Most Helpful Developer Community Forum Member - Peter Strange

Most Helpful Developer Relations Team Member on Twitter - Brian Zubert

Best Built for BlackBerry App – CB10

Best Open Source Project for BlackBerry – bbui.js

Best Scoreloop Integrated Game - Jetpack Joyride

Thank you again to everyone who nominated and voted – see you in Hong Kong for BlackBerry Jam Asia!

This blog post will walk you through the Add-on from start-to-finish.

Get your BlackBerry Signing Keys

Before you begin you need to register for BlackBerry Signing Keys, which lets you develop your Unity games and publish to BlackBerry World. After signing up, you should receive 2 .csj files that will be used to generate the Signing Keys. If you already have your Signing Keys setup, move on to the next section.

Setup your Signing Keys

Once you have the Unity Beta SDK installed, make sure you register your computer for BlackBerry development. This can be done through Unity’s Build Settings at File->Build Settings. You will find the BlackBerry option among other platforms.

Note: if BlackBerry is not among other platforms, it is probably because you do not have a Pro license or it is not unlocked for the BlackBerry 10 Add-on. You can find more information on activating your Trial Pro license in the Unity Beta forums.

1. Register

   Clicking on the “Player Settings” will open up the BlackBerry Platform settings tab.

   Note: If you already have setup the BlackBerry Signing Keys with other BlackBerry Developer tools, the BlackBerry Add-on should detect and show you as Registered.

   

If you have not already registered your computer, click the Register Button and that will pop-up a screen where you can specify the appropriate .csj files that you received in your email. The CSJ Pin corresponds to the pin that you entered when filling out the Signing Key form. The CSK Password that you enter will be your actual Signing Key password that you should make sure to remember.



2. Backup and Restore

   Once you have registered, make sure to backup the generated Signing Keys. It is very important that you backup the Signing Keys as this will allow you to develop, publish, and upgrade your game from different computers. Once backed up, you can simply use the Restore button to register a different computer for development.

   Keeping your Signing Keys safe and remembering your password saves you a lot of potential hassle!

3. Unregister

   The Unregister button removes any Signing Key information from your computer. It is highly recommended to backup your keys in order to be able to publish or upgrade your games in the future. Unregistering your Signing Keys without a backup will make it impossible to retrieve them.

Debug Tokens

To securely develop, debug, and test your Unity Games, you’ll need DebugTokens.

If you already have a BlackBerry 10 Development environment setup, you can simply import your existing debug token from the following default folders:

• Windows XP: %HOMEPATH%\Local Settings\Application Data\Research In Motion
• Windows Vista and Windows 7: %HOMEPATH%\AppData\Local\Research In Motion
• Mac OS: ~/Library/Research In Motion
• UNIX or Linux: ~/.rim

To create a new debug token, click Create and the following window will pop-up to let you specify where to create a DebugToken and for which device based on the device PIN. The PIN of a BlackBerry 10 device can be accessed from the Settings screen in your device.

Before uploading the Debug Token, make sure that:

1. The device is in the development mode.
   It can be done at Settings Screen-> Security and Privacy -> Development Mode
2. Device IP Address and device password are entered

If you have a USB cable then enter the Development IP Address starting 169.254.x.x in the Device Address text box. If you prefer deploying wirelessly, make sure your device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network and enter the Network IP address that can be found under Settings Screen -> About -> Network ->IP. In both cases, development mode has to be turned on.

To verify that the Debug Token was successfully uploaded, check the development mode screen for the Debug Token details.

For security reasons, the generated Debug Tokens are only valid for a month. For example, if you have a debug version of a Unity game installed on your BlackBerry with an expired token, the game will not launch unless it is renewed. You can renew any existing or expired Debug Tokens within the settings. You may also edit a Debug Token to add or remove BlackBerry Device PINs for development.

Build and Deploy

Assuming you were able to import your game and upload the debug token, here’s how to enable optimizations and deploy to a BlackBerry 10 Device.

1. Texture Compression

   Depending on the Device’s GPU, you can compress your textures to a GPU-specific texture compression format to improve performance, loading time, and of course, reduce the texture memory size. The following options are available in the Build settings:



• PVRTC – To optimize your existing textures to Power VR GPU.
  Note: among the current Z10 and Q10 Devices lineup, Model Name STL100-1 indicates a PowerVR SGX544 GPU.
• ATC – To optimize your existing textures to Adreno GPU, which is present in majority of BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 devices.
• ETC1 or RGBA16 – To optimize your textures to the standard texture compression format included with OpenGL ES 2.0 extensions. Note: ETC1 is used to compress only opaque textures.
2. Build Type

   If your project is in development phase, use the Local Build Type with the development option turned on. This enables the Unity Script Debugging and Profiling feature. If you wish to test your game in release mode or submit it to BlackBerry World, choose the Signed Build Type.

   Note: To deploy a Signed Build, you do not need a Debug Token to be uploaded to a device. This allows you to distribute you game for Beta testing without having to distribute a Debug Token.

   

   Before submitting your game to BlackBerry World, explore the options under the BlackBerry platform settings to choose your game’s Resolution and Presentation options, Icon, Splash Screen, rendering optimizations etc.

   Now that you are up and running, lets see those amazing titles on BlackBerry World!

   And of course, for any questions, comments, concerns, or kudos feel free to reach out to me directly at rmadhavan@blackberry.com or connect directly on Twitter at @rmadhavan7.

For anyone new to analytics let me explain why I am so excited and why you should be as well. Analytics gives you the ability to know who is using your application as well as how they are using it. Sounds easy enough right? The Flurry SDK integrates with your application and allows it to log “events” when they occur. A simple example would be logging an event where a button is clicked. That data is recorded and then sent up to the dashboard where patterns start to emerge on how many people are clicking that button, how they got to it, and what users do after it gets pressed.

Analytics helps by telling you two very important pieces of information:

Who is using your application?

The Flurry Analytics service will report the following information about the user/user’s device by default:

• Locale set on the device
• Time Zone
• Approximate location
• Device name (ex “BlackBerry Z10”)
• Device OS version
• Carrier

And can also be configured by you to report:

• The version of the app being used
• The user’s geolocation (with permission from the user)
• The user’s gender (if supplied by the user)
• The user’s age (if supplied by the user)
• The user ID (if used by your application)

This will let you know where your application is being used, as well as provide you an idea for the type of people that are using it. This in turn gives you the ability to tailor content to various regions and locales based on demand, as well as determine which device models you may want to focus on in the future.

How are people using your application?

Of course after you know who is using your application you will definitely want to know how they are using it. Flurry lets you log events that occur within your application, letting you map out every step the user takes. This is helpful so you can see trends for where they may be getting stuck, areas for improvement, and features that are being used more than expected and can be prioritized for enhancement in future releases. This information is invaluable for making informed decision on where to take the direction of your application.

From the aspect of monetization, knowing user patterns can help you understand what will make your application and possibly digital goods for sale, more attractive/valuable to the end user. Events would also allow you to track the success of promotions within your application. If you happen to sell a limited edition digital good, or offer to unlock the premium features of the app at a reduced price, you have the ability to track the success of the promotion with a relatively short turnaround.

The idea of tracking everything your users do may sound like a scary concept, however all data is made anonymous by the service meaning there is no way of tracking specific actions back to one device/user. Keeping the data anonymous keeps users from compromising their privacy while still maintaining the integrity of the data.

If you’re ready to add some analytics to your application then getting started is easy. Simply go over to the Flurry home page and create an account. Then create an application to get the analytics SDK for BlackBerry 10.

I’ve also whipped up a sample app that you can take a look at to get a feel for the APIs that can be downloaded from the Community Samples Repo on GitHub.

JAM68 – Flurry Mobile Analytics on BlackBerry 10!!

If you’re lucky enough to be at BlackBerry Jam Americas this week, you can attend JAM68 where Anthony Watkins and Rich Brett from Flurry will be presenting with me on how to integrate the Analytics SDK into your BlackBerry applications. For those unable to make it, the recording should be posted a few days following the session and you can always send me a message on Twitter with your questions/comments: @garettBeuk

For more information you can also refer to our Analytics page on the forums:

http://developer.blackberry.com/devzone/develop/platform_services/platform_analytics.html
http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/BlackBerry-Analytics-Service/bd-p/analytics_serv

The first step is to register at http://www.madewithmarmalade.com/blackberry. Then create your BlackBerry 10 application using the Marmalade SDK and submit it within 30 days in “Draft” to BlackBerry World. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be 100% ready for this first step!

The first 300 qualifying vendors will receive a free BlackBerry Dev Alpha testing device on loan. Once apps are completed, submitted for final review, and approved, you’ll receive your free Marmalade Indie License (value of $499 USD) and you’ll get to keep your testing device to create more apps!

Our Marmalade License offer last year was extremely popular with over 1,000 apps created! Be sure to register quickly to secure your free Marmalade Indie License and be one of the first 300 to get a free BlackBerry Dev Alpha device.

If you already received a BlackBerry Dev Alpha device, you won’t qualify for an additional one. However, you are still eligible for the free license. Previous recipients of a free Marmalade License through a BlackBerry offer are not eligible to enter this promotion

For those that don’t know about Marmalade, it’s a powerful cross-platform SDK for the creation of richer apps and games on BlackBerry, iOS, Android and other platforms.

Marmalade makes it easier than ever to create BlackBerry 10 apps. Why not try developing your app with the new Marmalade RAD tool, which you’ll get for free when you sign up? Marmalade Quick is a fast, flexible and open RAD programming environment for the creation of 2D games and apps. It’s based upon best-in-class open source components including Cocos2d-x/Box2D, and the entire engine is made available in source code.

www.madewithmarmalade.com/BlackBerry

As the BlackBerry Live keynote news keeps flowing in I’m happy to introduce you to the youthful and fun BlackBerry Q5 smartphone, running BlackBerry 10. With a QWERTY keyboard and a confident design, this new BlackBerry smartphone has been built to provide a fast, effortless experience that helps you explore, create and share while on the go. Thorsten Heins just revealed the device onstage at BlackBerry Live, but we’ve got all the details ready to share with you below.

I’ve been using this device for a few days now and I’m already in love. It fits into my lifestyle perfectly offering the powerful experience I need and allowing me to flow seamlessly from task to task throughout my day.

Highlights and features of the BlackBerry Q5

• The evolution of the classic BlackBerry Keyboard:
  The BlackBerry Q5 features a classic BlackBerry Keyboard with discrete keys that has been re-engineered and elegantly designed to help you type fast, accurately and with the least amount of effort. Plus with Instant Action shortcuts you can type to perform tasks faster. The BlackBerry Q5 smartphone gives you the best of both worlds – a classic QWERTY keyboard for optimized communications and a 3.1” touchscreen for all the rest.
• Create the perfect shot with BlackBerry Time Shift mode and Story Maker
  Create the picture perfect shot with BlackBerry Time Shift mode, then create and share your story, weaving together your photos, videos and music into a movie with BlackBerry Story Maker.
• Share and be seen with BBM Video with Screen Share
  Instantly switch your BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) chat to a BBM Video conversation and catch up face-to-face. You can even share your screen, whether it’s a photo, a page in the browser, an idea, or a view from your camera.
• Stay close to what’s important to you with BlackBerry Hub
  With BlackBerry Hub, all of your messages and social conversations are only one swipe away. There’s no need to stop what you’re doing. Simply peek into the BlackBerry Hub from anywhere with a swipe to effortlessly flow in and out of your messages and conversations.
• BlackBerry World delivers a rich, thriving app and content ecosystem
  Discovering and sharing great apps and content is easier than ever with recommendations based on similar purchases, and access to more than 100,000 apps on the BlackBerry World storefront.

Here’s what Thorsten had to say in a recent press release on the new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone:

“BlackBerry is excited to bring the new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone to our customers in selected markets around world,” said Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of BlackBerry. “The BlackBerry Q5 gives you the best of everything with its cutting-edge BlackBerry 10 functionality and a physical QWERTY keyboard. It is for youthful fans that are passionate, confident and bold, and it makes it easy for them to have fun, create, share and stay connected.”

Pricing and Availability
The new BlackBerry Q5 smartphone will be available in selected markets in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia (including the Asia Pacific region), and Latin America, with availability beginning in July.

There you have it folks – if you live in the areas listed above, you can look forward to getting your hands on the new BlackBerry Q5 with BlackBerry 10. What do you think of this phone? Let us know your thoughts on this stunning new BlackBerry device in the comments below.