Monthly Archives: August 2013

Apple, iOS, Mobile Manufactor, Mobile OS Market, RAD Delphi

APNS – Apple Push Notification Server

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I’ve updated my code on the iOS client of the “Apple Push Notification Server”. With its companion the Server side. This version of code was written in Delphi, for windows desktop environment — and I’ve enhanced it a bit. Had to understand the thingies with the signing and all the procedure.
If you are in the progress of building one yourself here are my notes on the subject:

  • Make sure you are consistent with the type of app you are developing. Basically there are two kinds: Development & Production (Distribution). What ever you choose note the following assignments:
  1. Code sign your APNS with the proper type (DEV/PRO)
  2. Assign the server to be connected to the proper gateway:
    A. gateway.sandbox.push.apple.com:2195 – for DEV
    B. gateway.push.apple.com:2195 – for PRO
  3. Make sure your type is consistent to the client side (DEV/PRO) – The type of kind will produce a different value for the client APN Token when registration the client on the server side.

I’ve created a NotificationPanel for my windows desktop machine. Yet, it isn’t as fancy as the Apple/Google ones. But it inform me on different messages that I’ve connected it to. I’ve registered it as a COM AutomationObject, so it could be used in Microsoft VBA scripts, or similar applications.

One of the features of that code is the ability to send a message via my APNS registered server.

I am still trying to figure out, why not all of the messages being sent via the APNS reach the client side. I do not know where it actually fails [Client or Server side].

In addition there is the issue with the APNS feedback system (feedback.push.apple.com:2196) which I didn’t manage to verify its function. My version of code, for it, doesn’t seems to receive and feedbacks — whether messages has been sent properly or not, and if not — what is the exact reason.

Android, iOS, Mobile OS Market, RAD Delphi, windows8

Delphi XE5 beta6 testing for Windows/Android/iOS/MacOSX

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I started checking the new XE5 beta 6. It is, as being a beta, a little unstable, yet from first testing I would highlight the following:

  1. Very good – Integration with the iOS & android SDK/NDK
  2. Very good and ease of deploying applications (to the android at least – that’s what I first checked).
  3. Ran bunch of demo applications which were under …/FiremonkeyMobile path. About 10 demos, 2 worked perfectly… yet all the other halted the compilation/deployment – due to reasons that I didn’t check deep enough… After tweeking some of the none working on the android platform, I managed to run most of them.
  4. I ran all through, all the availables Firemonkey sample demos, that are supplied when installing the XE — and modified them for use on mobile devices. Seems that about 30% could run without a problem – on mobile — yet the rest required a more enhanced modification of the code.
  5. In addition, I’ve modified a code that was originally was written using XE4, for compilation to iOS devices. It made use of the datasnap and the binding of data to a TListView. Slight modification of it made it useable on the android platform as well… here is a sample tast
  6. On my ToDo.list are:
    • Create a demo app that uses SQLite on android…. With a big DB about 1mil records 1gb sized.
    • Checking the ability of local Mobile DB, such as the SQLite on iOS, and the deployment process of SQLite DB on android.
    • See how a deployment of DataSnap on the android works, (done that, seems that all that was required is to set in the android uses/options ‘the internet connection’ to on the app security switches)
    • Reintroduction of the ability to display a 3d object such as .3ds file. With proper setting of the meshes on it.
MOOC

Web Global Campus – Lean and Study Sites – MOOC

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MOOC – Massive Open Online Courses

Since I’ve studied in collage — I was looking for sites on the web, in which I could study and learn on my personal time. Presented in the following list are learning sites ordered by the timeline which they were introduced to me:

  1. Khan Academy – I tend to renew and learn new things from this site, where lectures are being thought, as if you were given a personal lesson. And almost all lectures are pinpointed, and though in clips of 10~12 minutes.
  2. Coursera – The lectures in coursera usually require you to know the subject which is being lectured, and they pinpoint on subjects that derive from the thought subject.
  3. OpenStudy – OpenStudy is the best place to ask questions about any thought subject and receive the support in a global community campuses.

Almost every university, and collage in my country got a site of its own. And most of them got plenty of lectures that were loaded to the web.

Though, when the studies are formal, as within these universities and collages:

  • Length: Lectures tend to be longer and lengthy so that they fit a semester.
  • Language: Another thing is that they usually presented in the country language.

I found wikipedia.org as a very good resource, that sums up a subject. With many focused resources for a subject (history, links and examples about any thought area).

Another related link is a BBC Podcast about Massive Open Online Courses from their documentaries series. Which was released on 2014-04-29.