The IT Nerd

Qt by Digia which I have written about on several occasions has been named as a recommended development framework for the NASA International Space Apps Challenge.

The event embraces collaborative problem solving with a goal of producing relevant open-source solutions to address global needs applicable to both life on Earth and life in space. Participants around the world, challenged to provide creative solutions, are recommended by theNASA International Space Apps Challenge’ organizing committee and the Tampere, Finland Spaceship Association event chapter to develop their mobile apps with Qt.

The NASA’s International Space Apps challenge is a crowdsourcing innovation program created to approach challenges with fresh eyes and new ideas. The event will be held on April 12^th and 13^th in nearly 100 locations around the world where participants will be able to choose from more than 40 challenges themed in five categories: Earth Watch, Human Space Flights, Robotics, Asteroids and Space Technology. NASA will provide relevant data and other resources to be used in creating solutions while participants will decide which challenge they want to work on, form teams and fully engage for two days. Virtual participants will also be able to join through an ‘on boarding session’ online where they will be able to find collaborators from local events or among other virtual participants. The best solutions will be selected for global awards and the winner will be given the opportunity to attend a NASA launch event.

Being associated with NASA is great news for Digia and will garner them a lot of attention.

Previously I announced that Digia was having a mobile roadshow to get their development product Qt in front of as many developers as possible. Now the roadshow is coming to Asia with a stop in Tokyo, Japan on May 20^th and Beijing, China on May 22^nd. The full-day events will feature keynote addresses from senior members of the Digia Qt team plus two tracks of technical training and developer presentations. The technical sessions will focus on how the Qt cross-platform application and user interface (UI) development framework can be used to enhance, simplify and accelerate development for the leading desktop, embedded and mobile OS platforms.

If you’re in Tokyo or Beijing, check it out.

If you’re interested in developing applications for multiple platforms, Digia has announced something that will be of interest to you. They are having a series of Qt Mobile Roadshows that will run in the US, UK and Germany during February and March. The full-day events will feature technical training and developer presentations focused on how the Qt cross-platform application and user interface (UI) development framework can be used to enhance, simplify and accelerate development for the leading mobile OS platforms.

Sessions will be delivered by Digia Qt trainers and Qt R&D specialists. Starting in San Francisco, CA, on February 19, the roadshow then moves to UK (London) on March 11 and Germany (Berlin) on March 13.

The agenda for the day includes:

• Introduction to Qt Mobile, Qt Developer Offering for Mobile Platforms
• Getting Started with Qt Mobile Programming using Qt Quick Controls
• Qt on Android, Deploying to Devices and Google Play
• Qt on iOS, Deploying to Devices and App Store
• Introduction to Qt on Windows Phone and WinRT
• Qt Cloud Services

For details of the Qt Mobile Roadshows and to register, visit the Digia website http://qt.digia.com or http://qt.digia.com/Qt-Mobile-Roadshow.

Digia announced the Qt Mobile Edition, a cross-platform development offering that provides everything needed to develop, deploy and host a mobile application at a low and affordable cost for Android, iOS and other mobile platforms. The Qt Mobile Edition enables hassle-free multi-platform application development and managing of apps with a built-in Qt-optimized cloud backend service, Enginio. The Qt Mobile Edition offering has been designed for individual developers and app development software houses looking to quickly develop native apps with mind-blowing graphics and performance for Android, iOS and other mobile platforms – all with one framework.

Qt Mobile Edition Key Features

• Qt Mobile Edition libraries and development tools for unbeatable native performance and maximum developer efficiency
• Cross-platform environment for Android & iOS app development plus other mobile platforms to be added soon
• Cloud data storage & user management (Enginio Qt Cloud)
• Application development support from Digia experts
• Commercial development and deployment license protecting development investments and simplifying application distribution
• Starting at $149 per month per user licence

Qt Mobile Edition will be available later this year following the release of the next major update to the framework,Qt 5.2, in December. More information about the Qt Mobile Edition can be found on http://qt.digia.com/Qtmobileedition and at QtDeveloper Days San Francisco, November 6-8. www.qtdeveloperdays.com.