The Mobile Platform Development Series was developed to help government agencies learn how to deliver government content–information, data and services–anytime, anywhere and on any device. One way to deliver content to citizens is via applications on mobile devices or native mobile apps. Government agencies need technical expertise on developing apps on the various platforms. Today we bring you a recap of the Blackberry webinar from this series.

The Blackberry webinar featured Richard Balsewich who provides application development guidance and technical architecture expertise for RIM/Blackberry. Here are the basics Richard gave for developing applications on Blackberry/RIM devices.

How do I start to develop RIM/Blackberry Apps?

The main application distribution site is Blackberry App World which has no registration fees for development. All a developer to has to do to start developing  is register, access the developer kit and get a sign in key.

What Development Options Does RIM/Blackberry offer?

There are 6 different development options (like Adobe Air, HTML 5) you can use to create apps on the Blackberry platform. The proper option for you depends on what type of app and/or device you are developing for (Richard explains all 6 options starting 7 minutes into the webinar). In addition, Blackberry Webworks helps with cross development platform development (explained at 16 minute mark).

How Do You Get An App in Blackberry App World?

After you register as a developer and you get your code sign in key, you apply for a vendor portal to deploy your apps. This is where you can get analytics information and will be where you will distribute your apps. Portal approval averages 2-3 days.

Was There A Live Development Demonstration?

Yes, Richard demonstrates development in Blackberry WebWorks at 26 and 36 minutes into the webinar.

Other Resources and Highlights?

• Tips and tricks for open source development on Blackberry like leveraging Blackberry GitHub Social Coding (35 minutes).
• Do It Yourself Blackberry App Development for non-developers.
• Un-official Blackberry Developers Handy Guide & Other Handouts (located below the video at link)

Over the next few weeks we will be recapping the complete Mobile Platform Development Series. Next week we will cover Windows Phone.

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In order to give people access to government health information anytime, anywhere on any device,  the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) of the National Institutes of Health created the MedlinePlus mobile website.

MedlinePlus brings free information about diseases, conditions, and wellness issues in language people can understand. Acccording to NLM, the mobile website:

allows users to browse health information, find important drug information, and explore health topics in English or Spanish from a mobile device.

You can find more government mobile products like the MedlinePlus mobile website on the USA.gov Apps Gallery.

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Is mobile changing us?

The rapid adoption of cell phones and, especially, the spread of internet-connected smartphones are changing people’s communications with others and their relationships with information. Users’ ability to access data immediately through apps and web browsers and through contact with their social networks is creating a new culture of real-time information seekers and problem solvers. — Pew Report Just-in-time Information through Mobile Connections

The Pew Study found that in the previous 30 days

• 41% of cell phone owners used their phone to coordinate a get-together.
• 35% used their phone to solve an unexpected problem.
• 30% used their phone to decide whether to visit a business, like a restaurant
• 27% used their phone to get information to help settle an argument.
• 23% used their phone to look up a sports scores.
• 20% used their phone to find the fastest way to get somewhere–including up-to-the-minute traffic.
• 19% used their phone to get help in an emergency situation.

In all, 70% of cell phone owners –62% of the entire adult population–used their phone in the previous month to do at least one of these real-time searches.

Use Case for Government

What does “A new culture of real-time information seekers and problem solvers” mean? It means that for government to meet it’s obligations to citizens, it’s not “business as usual” shoehorned into a mobile device, but providing information in real-time to help people solve their problems.

Government should approach all services use cases by asking, “What does the citizen want to do or know, and where are they when they are asking?”  Successful service delivery will be based on getting these answers right and then solving for that problem.

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The Mobile Platform Development Webinar Series will continue with Apple iOS on Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST. Before the session, we wanted to share some highlights from the first two sessions presented by Research in Motion(RIM)/Blackberry and Windows Phone.

The series was developed to help government agencies learn how to deliver government content–information, data and services–anytime, anywhere and on any device. One way to deliver content to citizens is via applications on mobile devices or native mobile apps.

Blackberry/RIM Session

Highlights of the RIM/Blackberry session included:

• The basics for creating apps on the RIM/BlackBerry platform, specifically how to decide the proper open source tools/coding language for the RIM mobile application you want to develop.
• Tips and tricks for good app development on Blackberry like leveraging Blackberry GitHub Social Coding.
• How to get your agency app placed in Blackberry App World.

You can listen to the archived Blackberry session to hear everything covered!

Windows Phone Session

Highlights of the Windows Phone session included:

• The basics for creating Windows Phone apps, specifically how to think about leveraging device functionality when developing in Microsoft Silverlight.
• Tips and tricks for good app development. In this session, the developer live codes two Windows apps–one of which leverages crime data from Data.gov!
• How to get an agency app placed in Windows Phone Marketplace.

You can listen to the archived Windows Phone session to hear everything covered!

Up Next iOS/Apple!

You can expect more tips and trips like these during the Apple iOS (iPhone, iPad, iTouch) platform webinar this Wednesday at 2 p.m. EST. Sign up here for the free webinar!

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My Dietary Supplements is a web-based mobile application that enables consumers to keep track of dietary supplements and other products they use and access them anywhere via any device. The mobile product was developed by the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.

MyDS is accessible through web browsers and it is device agnostic–working on all major mobile platforms and on any device. In addition to tracking supplements and other products, NIH says:

MyDS allows the user to create multiple profiles so that they can keep track of the products they take as well as a list of any products that family members may take. This feature is especially helpful for caregivers of the elderly, who use more dietary supplements than any other age group.
Consumers can quickly access this information anytime, while visiting their health care provider or shopping, for example. Within MyDS, consumers have the ability to email their personal list of dietary supplements to themselves or to their health care provider, so it can be printed for their records. MyDS also includes accurate and up-to-date consumer-focused fact sheets about dietary supplements, developed by the Office of Dietary Supplements. And finally, MyDS provides general information about the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health.

You can find more mobile products like MyDS on the USA.gov Apps Gallery.

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Data has surpassed voice traffic on mobile phones. But how much data is being consumed? According to Cisco’s Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update

• Global mobile data traffic grew 2.3-fold in 2011, more than doubling for the fourth year in a row.
• In 2011, Mobile data traffic was eight times the size of the entire global Internet in 2000.
• Mobile video traffic was 52 percent of  mobile traffic by the end of 2011. More on mobile data use from Cisco.

Video is a huge driver of mobile data use. Watching amazing videos on YouTube consumes no less that 12% of mobile data traffic–and it peaks at one quarter of all mobile data consumed.

If you’re like me, it’s hard to imagine just how much information is being passed over the air. Gigabytes? Terabytes? Petabytes? Exabytes? Bottom line, it’s alot, it’s growing and it’s feeding consumer expectations about what they should be able to do on their mobile devices.

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Did you register yet for our FREE Mobile Platform Development Series? Learn about how to get your apps into the app stores! Learn more.

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The NOAA Release Mako App was created for fisherman to report their releases of shortfin mako sharks while on the water. The mobile product was developed by the National Marine Fisheries Service at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The app which is available on the Android platform uses GPS and allows fisherman to upload photographs of their catches.  NOAA says:

The app uses a device’s built-in GPS, when available, to fill in exact location coordinates on the shortfin mako live release data form. The catch and release reports submitted via email allow fishermen to put their mako on the Shortfin Mako Shark Live Release Interactive Web Map at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms/shortfinmako/Map/index.htm.

The submission form is easy to fill out and operates like the online submission form. Touching the latitude and longitude boxes provides an location when GPS is available. The app also includes information about shortfin mako stock status, fishing regulations, FAQs, and safe handling and release guidelines.

You can find more government mobile products like the Release Mako App on the USA.gov Apps Gallery.

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Key to your mobile strategy is understanding how audiences use cell phones. There is still some misunderstanding about mobile adoption by African-Americans and Hispanics. Pew Internet reports that  both African Americans and English-speaking Latinos are more likely to own any sort of mobile phone than whites.

Additionally, compared with white cell phone owners, minorities us a wider range of device capabilities.

Minorities are much more likely to use email, access the Internet, play games and music or do online banking on their cell phones.

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Did you register yet for our FREE Mobile Platform Development Series? Learn about how to get your apps into the app stores! Learn more.

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