Beta Testing Guide

Beta testing is a great way to test your application before you finally submit your app for validation. By following a set process for beta testing, you can be sure that the next message you get from the validation team is Congratulations! Your app is published. Below is a checkpoint list that will help beta test your application effectively leaving no stone unturned.  

The list has 7 items that you will need to scrub against. You can tick and cross against as you move through each item on this check list. Under each check point there are issues that have been usually encountered and the possible areas that need to be looked at have been mentioned in this guide. Also links to validation guidelines under each checkpoint which should provide more information, the validation codes like SEC, ILU along with this guide should help in identifying where your application was rejected in as well.  

Checkpoint	Pass	Fail	Comments
Security Check
Installation Check
Launch Check
App Check
Authorization check
Uninstall Check
Content Check

Security Check
Run a virus scan on the MSI package, make sure that no high severity vulnerabilities are a part of the MSI. SEC01 – Virus and vulnerability scan.
SEC01 – Virus and vulnerability scan
SEC02 – Privacy opt-in or opt-out options 

  

Installation Check
Once you have sent out the beta invite, the invitee will see the application under pending downloads in their AppUp client. Click on the Download button. – The installation must be silent; at no point during installation should the user be prompted for any input. Take a looks at this thread which lists with screenshots how to create a silent installer. http://appdeveloper.intel.com/en-us/node/733   

– In some cases an error message is displayed “Oops! Something weird happened…..” during the installation process, this is usually a packaging issue. You can use a tool called ORCA to fix these issues. Below link with screenshots illustrates how you can use the tool. http://appdeveloper.intel.com/en-us/article/troubleshooting-validation-failures   

Launch Check
 The application should launch without any errors, if there are shortcuts from the desktop or any other location, check if the launches from these shortcuts are effective as well.
ILU03 – Application should launch on Netbook

App Check
App check needs to be run at 3 levels, user interface, content & OS compatibility. The validation guidelines are comprehensive and list out what items need to be checked against at each level. 
User Interface 
UIX01 – All menus, graphics icons and text must be easily readable by user
UIX02 – User interface consistency must be preserved across the application 
Content
INC01 – Unauthorized use of Intel trademark and Brand
INC02 – Objectionable content
INC03 – Advertisements within application  

OS Compatibility Please also ensure that the app is tested on all OS environment as indicated during app submission. So if you have indicated app supports Win XP & Win 7. Test on both environments. 

 

Authorization Check
The SDK integration enables an ISV to sell the application per device. If I were to copy files of the app onto another netbook or any other device, the app should not run. You could test this by copying the files of the installed app onto another system and check if the app runs. If it does then there is an issue with the SDK integration.  

Uninstall Check
After uninstalling completes, check if all shortcuts and files associated with app have been removed.
ILU02 – Application must uninstall cleanly 

Content Check
 – Check on your short and long description. Please ensure that there is sufficient content to ensure that consumer on the AppUp store gets a fair idea on the capabilities of the app. – Check on the Rating you are providing for app, if it is in adherence with the validation guidelines -Check for all content within the app as well, there should be no profanity, violation of copyright.
Content
DES01 – Content and description fields are error free and adhere to content submission and validation guidelines
DES02 – E-mail addresses and Support URLs are valid and function as appropriate mechanisms to get in contact with Developers
DES03 – Custom end user terms and conditions are compatible with program models and objectives
Image
IMG01 – Icons are appropriate and adhere to applicable program policies and guidelines
IMG02 – Screenshots are appropriate and adhere to applicable program policies and guidelines
Content Rating
RTG01 – Content rating provided for app matches content rating guidelines 

  

  

  

Get your hands on Meego mobile OS

MeeGo blends the best of Moblin with the best of Maemo, to create a platform for multiple processor architectures covering the broadest range of device segments. MeeGo builds upon the capabilities of Moblin core software platform and reference user experiences, adding the Qt UI toolkit from Maemo. MeeGo will also include Clutter and GTK+.

More on this video

Fast track eXperience Campaign

In line with the introduction of software assessments tools, which are designed to give you an assessment of the result of enabling on key technology focus areas like multi core, graphics, manageability and power optimization. Let me tell you what is to be won and how you can participate.

Prizes to be won:

Trip to Intel® Developer Forum San Francisco for one ISV from India
Skype vouchers on a weekly basis

How do you participate:

Intel® Graphics Checker

The software assessment process is designed to help ISVs deliver maximum playability of 3Dmainstream gaming applications on systems with Intel® Graphics by taking advantage of the Intel®Graphics Checker tool through the Intel® Software Partner Program. The Intel Graphics Checker ‘View Results’ screen displays measurement results for each of the graphics technical criteria (graphics hardware, display resolution, Microsoft DirectX, vertex processing, and average frame rate).   

Once the report file has been successfully uploaded, a detailed software assessment report is available on the website that provides additional information about the assessment results. In the event that one or more of the suggested criteria values were not met, the software assessment report provides specific recommendations for improving your results in another software assessment run.
Video and download link:

Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT)

Intel® AMT can be utilized by several types of management and security applications such as security and other management agents, firewalls, and hardware & software inventory tracking to help IT improve asset management, reduce downtime, and minimize desk side visits. Below is a video that gives an overview on AMT use cases. Intel® Active Management Technology (AMT) is not just for big enterprises. Small business owners with only a few PCs can benefit greatly from Intel’s AMT, a key feature of the Intel® vPro™ technology. Power savings, improved remote management, and inventory control are just a few of the benefits. Intel AMT adds hardware to business PCs to manage them remotely, regardless of operating system (OS) state.

Intel provides software vendors with all the necessary documentation and software samples to make sure that vendors can build management software that works with Intel AMT. Take a look at this video, to see a demo of 3 AMT use cases.

Link to Videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?=Vqax5__JWtA&feature=PlayList&p=A0C14BFB2771717A&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=17
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ6o5nOWL14&feature=PlayList&p=A0C14BFB2771717A&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1pDn57oxhg&feature=PlayList&p=A0C14BFB2771717A&playnext_from=PL&index=42&playnext=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAf_raTRA3s&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S73VHsVgiYE&feature=channel

Intel Software Network

 

Intel Software network is your one stop shop for all technical queries you have about enabling your application on Intel Platforms. The best part about Intel Software network is that if offers developers every form of information in formats from articles, blogs, podcasts, radio, videos, live TV that is essential in getting the application enabled on Intel Platforms. 

I will leave most of the aspects of ISN for you to explore, but aspect that I would definitely like to talk about is the support forums. It is the only platform that you get to speak to Intel Application engineers and gurus in the industry and fellow developers about any technical questions you have on making your applications faster and more efficient on Intel hardware. Especially as multi core is main stream, ISN is a resource that you can point your development teams to. It is a great place to win some exciting prizes as well. With points that you accumulate with your posts on the forums you can win some real cool prizes. 

Your Intel Software partner program login will provide you access to the Intel Software network forums. Please visit www.intel.com/software.

Intel Business Exchange Software Store

Intel Business exchange (IBX), is a key benefit in a go to market phase for any product that can be distributed through an online marketplace. If you have a product that is targeted for the SMB & consumer audience, IBX is the platform for your product. 

IBX is an online software store currently available for users in the US, UK, Germany, France & India. What this means is that you could register your product in IBX and you would be able to sell your product in these markets.

 Take a look at the software stores in each of the Geo’s  

If you feel there is an intercept between your product and IBX potential to take your products to a larger audience send me a note and we can work towards listing your products on IBX.

Intel Software tools for native code developers

• Do you have a development team which works on C/C++/Fortran?
• Do you use gcc/windows compiler
• Is the performance of your application not up to your satisfaction?
• Are you using hand-coded libraries/freeware libraries in your applications ( e.g. jpeg, mpeg, FFT, DFT, signal processing)

 If your answer is yes to any of these questions, you definitely need to evaluate the Intel Software tools. The presentation as well as the web link below will provide further information on what are the products that are available. You can even download the evaluation copies from the link below.

Intel Software Development products

Software Assessment tool for Multi core

In the last newsletter I had briefly introduced the software assessment tool as a development tool for developing or scaling you application for n core. The software assessment tool is now available for download at no cost. 

What can the SAT provide?

If you want to make sure that when running on a multi core machine you are using all 4 cores and not just one or two, SAT is the tool that will provide data to indicate whether the application is capitalizing on the hardware available. The stove analogy might put this perspective right through. In a 4 burner stove, using only one burners will all burners are on full flame is what a single threaded app or a an app with a number of threads but not running currently relates to.

 How do I use SAT?

• Download the tool from the Intel software partner Program
• Run the tool
• The Intel® Software Assessment Tools generate a Tool Report File each time you assess your software.
• Upload this file to the Intel® Software Partner Program Web site to view a customized Software Assessment Report.
• Receive recommendations for optimizing your application

Intel Atom Developer Program

What is the Intel® Atom™ Developer Program?

• Provides developers with everything they need to create and then sell their applications to millions of Intel Atom-based devices.
• Gives OEMs and the ecosystem a framework to deliver great new applications directly to consumers.

What is the business model? How do I make money?

• Developers will set the price for their applications and will receive up to 70% of the revenue from every sale from every store. Infrastructure operational expenses and partner revenue will be covered from the remaining portion.
• Developers can choose to use some of their revenue in exchange for things like promotion.
• Developers can also build and sell application components the Developer Store in exchange for a % share of revenue from every application sold which uses their component

 How do I join the Intel Atom Developer Program?

• Register appdeveloper.intel.com, click on get an ID, then click on My dashboard  and complete the registration process

 Contest

• 100 Netbooks for 100 Apps
• Special benefits from Intel Software Partner Program to be announced
• Showcase opportunity at Game Developers Conference 2010