Re: App development ideas

Re: App development ideas

by Bruno Lemke -
Number of replies: 4

Thanks for all the useful replies to Graham's forum post.

I have to say I have spent an inordinate amount of time looking for and testing out apps.  Reminds me of the early days of pcs where there was a huge amount of rubbish with the odd gem among them.

Anyway I have given up looking for apps and want to start developing my own.  I have two questions:

1)  I presume I can develop my own apps - Apple seems to have put restrictions on apps it makes publically available, but I presume I can make one for me to use?

2)  In the Blog message below Adobe indicates it will develop Adobe Flash to program for ipad.  I have read a number of conflicting reports on this ranging from Apple killing this Adobe initiative to Adobe have released Flash for ipad to the only way it will work is if you "jailbreak" the ipad.  Does anyone know?  And if so where can I get more information on how to use flash to build an ipad app.

Adobe blog 2010: 

"We announced the Packager for iPhone at MAX 2009 which will allow Flash developers to create native iPhone applications and will be available in the upcoming version of Flash Pro CS5. This technology enables developers to create applications for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad (though applications will not initially take direct advantage of iPad’s new screen resolution). It is our intent to make it possible for Flash developers to build applications that can take advantage of the increased screen size and resolution of the iPad."

Bruno

In reply to Bruno Lemke

Re: Welcome to the iPads4Learning Site

by Scott Shepard -

I understand the tools for creating apps for IOS are free to download and use and the download includes a simulator so you can test your app on a virtal iPad or iPhone (although I suspect the iPad simulator is not yet available but is not far away). 

As far as getting apps published I think that is where it gets tricky, that said I have seen some promotional videos where companys have created apps and used internal appstores for publishing there own creations I have no idea how this works and what is required though I have not read into it further.

I belive the tools also give you the ability to make the app iPad specific, iPhone specific or make the app universal for both devices.

The resources can be found at the following link: http://developer.apple.com/ipad/sdk/

 

Adobe Flash on IOS... now there is a heated subject where there has been a lot of finger pointing and press releases.  But that said there has been an interesting press release this month from Adobe (I am just going to quote Wikipedia here):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash

"On November 9, 2011, Adobe announced that, it will not develop Flash for Mobile Platforms anymore and is planning on developing new products with more open technologies and standards like HTML5, JavaScript and CSS3"

 

But that said wihthin the same wiki page:

Flash content can be made to run on iOS devices in a variety of ways:

  • Flash content can be bundled inside an Adobe AIR app, which will then run on iOS devices. (Apple didn't allow this for a while, but they relaxed those restrictions in September 2010.)
  • On March 8, 2011, Techradar reported that Adobe provides an experimental server side tool (Wallaby) to convert Flash programs (as far as possible) to HTML5 code, thus allowing iOS devices to display the content.
  • If the content is Flash video being served by Adobe Flash Media Server 4.5, the server will translate and send the video as HTTP Dynamic Streaming or HTTP Live Streaming, both of which can be played by iOS devices.

 

And now for the grand finally (I must admit I did not realise this myself but then again who is rushing to the shops to buy a Microsoft phone?.... well probably businesses but that is beside the point tongueout):

The mobile version of Internet Explorer 8 for Windows Phone does not support Flash. The IE9 web browser on Microsoft Windows Phone 7.5 ('Mango') does not support Flash either.

 

Scott

In reply to Scott Shepard

Re: Welcome to the iPads4Learning Site

by Bruno Lemke -

Thanks Scott for you detailed and informative answers.

However ..... its rather depressing in that developing an app is not straight forward.

And thanks Doug for your input. Unfortunately that's not how I work!  While the services you offer would be extremely useful (if there is a reasonable level of funding) I generally don't work like that.  How I work is while I'm doing something mundane I have an idea of how something can be done better.  What I then do is try it out in a rough and ready form till I get a better idea of what works.  My creativity is in incrementally small steps not with a wow and a plan that a prograammer can pick up and run with.

I like Flash because i can try something out in a relatively simple form and build on it as i see what works (and what doesn't).  I can do it at my own pace and i can start with a small idea which gradually grows.

What I would like is an app development program that starts off like say powerpoint to get the basics into place (and to be useful at the same time) and then gradually add more features like with Flash (which i manage to incorporate into powerpoint relatively well).

Then, when I have something that works educationally, I would like to show it to a programmer and be able to ask them to develop a more professional version.

In other words i need a basic app development tool (preferably that runs on the ipad) where i can develop educational applications that uses code that may horrify a programmer but that works educationally.  After that stage I would like to hand it over to someone else to commercialise it.

bruno

 

In reply to Bruno Lemke

Re: Welcome to the iPads4Learning Site

by Doug Stenhouse -

Hi Bruno et al

How timely - I've JUST signed up as an Apple Developer as part of the "iOS Developer University Program".
(FWIW, I have a brother who is a programmer and used to write OS cellphone software for Sony in Germany and is now writing iPhone apps so he's helping me out with some of the "signing on" process.)

As of tonight I see that I am registered as an "Agent" at "Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (Creative Industries)". Hmmm....groovy.

So, I'll need to look at the next steps for the "iPad" team and get some discussion going on the possible software development front. I am keen to write (used to be a mainframe COBOL programmer in a past life) some educational/edutainment style apps (I'm a LiveCode programmer now). I will be asking for any ideas at the meeting on Dec 2 at 12:30pm.

Looking forward to seeing you all then!

Regards, Doug smile

In reply to Doug Stenhouse

Re: Welcome to the iPads4Learning Site

by Beth Endres -

Well done, Doug!

I'm also researching the creation of an app.  I'll be working with Dept. of Conservation and hopefully NZ Plant Conservation Network on mine.  I would love to learn more about writing apps, but don't realistically have the time.  So, I've been researching who I could work with to pull my idea together. 

I was thinking that there might be a student that would want to work on this sort of project for a class... but perhaps you might be interested yourself?  You could definitely get credit toward your DTLT, if you are interested. 

Cheers,  Beth