The brain of Brann

As a quick diversion from my Blackberry development, I took some time to build a mobile proof of concept site using these few requirements:

1.       The site should run on a host of mobile devices

2.       The site is public access

3.       The mobile site should reflect a subset of the current public website.

  The After researching some options, I decided on executing my approach with the JQuery Mobile framework.  I made this decision because HTML 5, my first choice, was out due to browser incompatibility.  I looked into JQTouch as a possible option, but, again, browser support was lacking.

  The POC only took me about an hour to complete as I was using dummy data and the requirements were very scarce.  I am happy with the result, overall, and looks very good on the iPad, iPhone, Android emulator, and Blackberry emulators.  It is even clean on desktop Chrome and IE8.

   If you have a few minutes to blow, check out this tutorial.  The only think that I covered in my POC that was not included in this quick read was direct-dial link buttons for phone numbers:

http://miamicoder.com/category/tutorials/jquery-mobile-tutorials/
(Scroll down the page for “Creating a Website Using JQuery Mobile” parts 1,2, and 3.)

Thanks everyone, for allowing me to deliver the Mobility 101 and Rapid Application Prototyping presentation at the Sogeti Denver 5 to 7 technical training series last night.  I have in the works a couple of classes coming up later in the year.

Mobility 200.

This class will cover the basics of setting up a development environment for BB/Android/WM7 development, and building/debugging a quick application in each environment with an emulator.

Class requires a laptop.

Mobility 300.

This class will cover the review of a mobile application 2 platform build (Blackberry/iPad) and include a technical dive on consuming Restful/JSON services from Java and Objective C and managing a multiple code-base application.

Class requires a laptop.

Much, much nerdier and I expect the turnout to be lower and lower as this gets more technically detailed.

Here I am starting a blog.  I didn’t think that I’d ever do this because I didn’t think that anyone really wanted to hear what I had to say but lately, it seems like people are clamoring for me to speak for them.  I’m taking that as a cue.

Currently, for my client, I am helping them develop a RESTFUL API layer on their existing pretty cool stuff. 

On the “additional work” front, I am developing a new mobile application for Sogeti called Consultants In Hand.  This application is going to leverage our existing unit SharePoint 2007 backbone and Azure (as a restful services host) to give our field representatives instant access to consultant availability, skillsets, and status.  The target platforms are (in order of development) Blackberry SDK 5.0, WindowsMobile 7, Android, iPhone.

So, for “fun”, I am enroiled in my first Blackberry development in literally, years.  I can see why the market is being unfriendly to the platform.  The development platform, Eclipse, can’t compete with modern development platforms.  Really, Blackberry?  No layout view?  No visual components at all?  Ugh.  It’s just like coding HTML in the dark days of the 1990’s… with Notepad!

That’s all I have here tonight.  Have a great holiday weekend out there.