Use VS.NET to program for Blackberry

Research in Motion (RIM) announced a plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio.NET in May which will allow .net developers to target all Blackberry devices using .net web-services architecture. Its now available for download from here.

Key benefits of the BlackBerry Plug-in for Microsoft Visual Studio include:

1. Familiar Development Experience - The plug-in integrates within thefamiliar Visual Studio development environment, and allows developers to visually design, implement and debug applications for BlackBerry smartphones.
2. Leverages Developer Skill Sets - Customers and system integrators can leverage their developer skill sets in order to reduce costs and accelerate the development of applications for the BlackBerry platform.
3. Seamless Wireless Connectivity - Leverages the inherent security, manageability and efficient wireless connectivity of the BlackBerry Enterprise Solution.
4. Platform Interoperability - Allows enterprises to create rich client applications for BlackBerry smartphones that interoperate with .NET-based systems via Web Services.
5. Rich Client Application Functionality - Provides the ability to create rich client applications with a flexible user interface, offline data storage, asynchronous push, and secure data access.
6. Enterprise-Class Security and Manageability - Applications developed will leverage the same security architecture of BlackBerry Enterprise Server. IT departments will benefit from simplified management and centralized control of their wireless deployments with reduced administrative overhead and a lower total cost of ownership.

To know more about this and other development options for Blackberry please visit: www.blackberrydeveloper.com

Touch iPhone and Dream Gphone

On 5th September 2007 Apple reduced the price of iPhone 8GB model by $200 to $399 just 2 months after its much hyped launch. It has also dropped the 4GB model. Many early buyers are accusing Apple of unfair pricing and feel cheated. Apple is offering them $100 credit to pacify. Financial analysts didn't like the news as well and Apple stocks fell next day.

If you can't wait for iPhone to be available at a store near you, I will suggest you to buy HTC Touch, which many believe is an iPhone killer. And another news doing the round is that HTC may sue Apple for naming its latest iPod model as iPod Touch. iPod touch looks quite similar to iPhone and has most of the same features minus the Phone.

Also in past few months rumors about a phone from Google aka Gphone gained momentum and some believed that it can be launched any day. Rediff.com, the numero uno Indian portal even went ahead and claimed Gphone will be launched from India. Only if there would have been some truth in the rumors, Gphone would have been launched by this time and probably I would have started considering switching my Palm Treo 680. Google's head of research has denied Google's interest in any hardware development a few days back so probably this will end any speculation about a Gphone now.

Anyway I am sad but I am happy with google for making the world (read cyber-world) a better place to live in so even if they don't really launch the Gphone, I think they have done enough and continue doing some pretty innovative things in technology like DNA database, face and speech recognition, digitization of libraries etc. etc.

Update on 7th Many 08: Vodafone bringing iPhone to India in September 2008

Now book your Yatra on Mobile

Good news for all the the travel-lovers, now not only you can Make Your Trip on Mobile, but you can also now plan a Yatra on mobile. Seriously www.yatra.com another big travel portal from India, follows MakeMyTrip in launching mobile application to book flights, hotels, cars etc.

Its also a java application like in case of MakeMyTrip so it will run on many mobile phones available in India, you can check out list of compatible mobile handsets here. So if you have a GPRS enabled handset with Java support you can YATRA to 2622 and they will send you link for download.

Mobile advertising platform from mobile-worx

On June 21 I wrote about 160by2.com, an advertisement supported free sms service from smscountry.com. Just came to know about zestadz which is a complete mobile advertising platform and it allows advertisers to advertise on SMS, WAP sites and even mobile games.

Interestingly they are inviting game and content developers to join them and embed their ad-displaying code in their mobile games/content. They will share revenue with them as well, which I think can prove to be an attractive proposition for many developers and content developers.

They claim 1 million impressions per month on SMS traffic, however they don't reveal if they have some tie-up with carriers to send such sms or have some users signed up, who have opted for letting them embed ads in their sms in return for free sms or other goodies.

Anyway a good mobile advertising option, I must say.

Make your Trip on Mobile

MakeMyTrip, a very famous Indian travel portal has launched a mobile application in association with Nokia which allows users to make travel bookings on their mobile. As part of promotion they are offering 50 weekend getaways everyday, cash-backs and airline bookings at half price and a grand prize of dream holiday to Bali.

I saw an advertisement in Economic Times which mentions site - http://nokia.co.in/nseries, but I didn't find any mention of this mobile application on the site, later I visited the MakeMyTrip website and came to know that correct URL to download the application and for details regarding participating in the contest is - http://www.nseriesindia.com/makeMyTrip/mmtHome.htm

They say that its for Nokia Nseries phones only, but I think many other java enabled phones should be able to run it as well, however you won't be eligible for contest if you are not a Nseries owner.