Test mobile friendliness of your website

May 3, 2012 — anuragkhode

With the boom of Smartphones in the market and the availability of good data plans in the market across all carriers, lots of users have started using their mobile phones to access the websites for the information they needed. Yes you have a good website made for desktop and users can access it from their mobile phones also. But just loading websites in the phone is not enough for your users. There are many things which matters for users like the time to load the website, User interface, accessibility of various functions available on the website and so on.

GO MO is an initiative from Google which helps developers having a good mobile ready websites.

Google has also provided a quick tool GOMOMeter which helps you to analyze your website on mobile.The tool shows you how your current site looks on a Smartphone and provides a report on what’s working and what you can do better. The user just needs to enter his website URL and needs to provide answers to some questions like:-

  • Do you see broken images or missing content?
  • Can you read the text without zooming or scrolling?
  • Can links and buttons be clicked with a thumb?
  • Is search functionality easily accessible?

Here is the example of small test I conducted for Facebook site.GOMO also provides a detailed report about your site.The sample report for Facebook Site can be found here

You can also take a look on Best Practices for Mobile Sites on GO MO website

 

Mentioned above are just key pointers.You can take a look on these best practices in details on GO MO website.:)

Posted in Mobile App Test-Utilities, Mobile Application Testing, Mobile WAP Testing. 2 Comments »

Log Collector for Android Apps

April 16, 2012 — anuragkhode

How to collect  logs when you are not connected to DDMS?

Logs are very important when you are getting any crash in your app or when your app is not behaving correctly.Traditionally for Android apps, we all collect the logs by connecting to DDMS.However sometimes it becomes so difficult to dig out the log when your device do not get connected to your PC due to some cable problem or any other issues with the device.Recently I faced such problem for my Android Tablet Asus Transformer and it really made me so difficult to provide the crash logs to my developers.If you are the one who faced such problem, here is an app which can help you in this situation.

Log Collector:-

  • Log collector is an app/tool  which can provide you application logs whenever required
  • You are not required to connect with your PC
  • You can share logs via various means like Email,Facebook,Twitter,Bluetooth,Messaging etc.
  • You can edit the logs before sending these logs to your developer.

How to get Log Collector?

You can install it from Android Market(Now Google Play). Just type “Log Collector” and search in Google play.This tool/app can be install on Android 1.5 and above.

Screenshots:-

Posted in Android Application Testing, Mobile App Test-Utilities, Tablet Apps Testing. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Reading iPhone Backups

March 31, 2012 — anuragkhode

Guest Post By:- Satish B

When iPhone is connected to a computer for the first time, iTunes automatically creates a subfolder with device UDID as the folder name and takes a backup of everything available on the iPhone. UDID stands for unique device identifier which is unique for every iPhone and computed from iPhone hardware attributes like MAC, ECID, Bluetooth address, etc…  iTunes backup locations are shown in the Table-1. Once the subfolder is created, then each time the device is connected to the computer, iTunes will only updates the files in the existing subfolder. iTunes also provides a way for the users to store the device backup in a secure way by setting a backup password. When a user sets a backup password, all files in the backup gets encrypted.

Operating system Backup Location
Windows XP C:\Documents and Settings\[user name]\Application Data\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\
MAC OS X ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/
(~ represents user’s home directory)
Windows 7 C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Roaming\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\

(Table-1)

iTunes backup everything on the device along with the device details like serial number, UDID, SIM hardware number and phone number. Backup folder contains a list of files which are not in a readable format as shown in the Figure 1. Filename consists of 40 digits alphanumeric hex value.

Reading Iphone Back Up

Most of these files are property list files and SQLite database files. Below listed free tools can be used to convert the gibberish backup files into a readable format as shown in Figure 2.

MAC OS X – iPhone Backup Extractor – http://supercrazyawesome.com/
Windows – iPhone Backup Browser – http://code.google.com/p/iphonebackupbrowser/

Apple is changing the iTunes backup mechanism with every release of iOS. So it is always challenging to design tools to read the latest iOS backups.

About Me:

Satish Bommisetty is an Information Security Professional with 6 years of experience in Penetration testing of web applications and mobile applications.

His blog is located at http://securitylearn.wordpress.com
Email: satishb3@hotmail.com

 

Posted in Mobile Security Testing. Tags: , , , . Leave a Comment »

Preparing for the Future of Mobile and Tablet Purchases

March 27, 2012 — anuragkhode

Computers once dominated the landscape of digital purchases. An individual would log on to his computer; visit a website; look for an item; and purchase it digitally. Individuals continue to make digital purchases, but now also on mobile devices and tablets. Mobile phone and tablets present a new issue for online business: different load times, purchasing problems, and errors that can lead to hundreds of sales lost.

Knock, Knock: The Future Is Here

 The tablet industry is expected to grow 38% between now and 2015, growing from 67 million units to 248.6, according to Transparency Marketing Research. With such a massive growth expected to occur, websites must be more prepared to handle the influx of customers going to a website on tablets or mobile devices. Each day, hundreds of users of tablets and mobile phones visit a website to make a purchase. What commonly occurs with websites not prepared for this is mistakes on the purchasing screen. A user may try to buy an item from his phone or tablet and multiple errors will occur, such as improper loading, item number problems, and drop down screen issues. The user who originally wanted to purchase your item from your website may now look elsewhere. By using the proper performance testing services, you can be better prepared to prevent such small issues from occurring.

Slow Load Times from Mobile Devices

 Experiencing errors on a mobile device is bad, but experiencing slow load times is even worse. Imagine going onto a website from your tablet device and each page taking 30 seconds or more to load. In an age where 4G/3G speeds and downstream speeds of 6 Mbps for wireless Internet exist, there is no excuse for slow load times. Sure, response times will not be as quick on a mobile phone as they will be on a home computer, but with full signal bars, no individual should wait one minute to load a single webpage. Run some tests to ensure that all mobile users get the best possible load time for your company’s information. Use mobile application testing tools if necessary, because your customers will either forget about or not buy anything from your website if it is too slow for their liking.

Smart phones will continue to get smarter, while tablets will continue to provide wireless access to the Internet using cell towers. As the mobile industry expands, companies need to start preparing for the purchases individuals will make with their mobile devices or lose out on thousands of dollars in potential sales.

Posted in Mobile Application Testing. Tags: , , , , . 1 Comment »

Checklist for Mobile Test Automation Tools

March 14, 2012 — anuragkhode

BACKGROUND

This short post will provide a recommended checklist for selecting a mobile test automation tool. In addition, it will provide a brief overview of one of the leading mobile test automation tools -  SeeTestTM of Experitest –  for iPhone,Android, Blackberry, WM  that plugs into QTP, MSTest, Rational and all Open Source Environments.

SEETESTTM– Leading mobile automation toolfor QTP and other test environments

Experitest (www.experitest.com) – a strategic partner of both HP (Gold Partner) and Microsoft – has developed SeeTest – a test automation tool for mobile that meets the full CHECKLIST detailed below and is deployed in Fortune 500 companies worldwide, such as Microsoft, NYSE, Marvell, Texas Instruments, Clicksoftware, BSkyB, 888, Cisco and many more.

Download a free trial: http://experitest.com/download/

Watch a Video (General Overview – 3 min): http://vimeo.com/26912970

Watch a Video (Identification Methods – 10 min): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_Lldye89ek&feature=youtu.be

Email us for a free webinar/demo/POC: support@experitest.com

 THE CHECKLIST – MUST HAVE’s

There are several MUST-HAVE requirements in a mobile test automation tool:

  • Support for ALL object identification methods: more specifically, the tool should be able to identify an object by its Native ID, Image Recognition, Text Recognition and Web HTML5 (DOM). This is crucial otherwise the maintenance of the tests will be very poor. Tools that only support image recognition, for example, will be extremely sensitive to any change in the graphical appearance of the Object and will therefore require huge amounts of maintenance.
  • Secure solution – the tool implementation must meet the same security level of the Enterprise in which it is implemented. External hosting sites with public internet connectivity and Jailbroken devices are an absolute no-no.
  • Devices Exactly like the actual user has: No Jailbreak/Rooting
  • Support for ALL device functionality such as gestures, security alerts, wake and reboot.
  • Same test running on different devices and different mobile OS

THE CHECKLIST – FULL LIST

Following is a detailed, full list of all recommended criteria when evaluating a mobile test automation tool.

 

 

Posted in Mobile application Testing and Automation tools. Tags: , . 2 Comments »

Google Increase the file size limit up to 4 GB in Android Market

March 10, 2012 — anuragkhode

Here is  yet another rejoicing news for all Android developers. Google has increased the Android app size limit  from 50 MB to 4GB to upload in Android Market. Well the maximum allowed APK (Application Package File) file size will still be limited to 50 MB. However the developers will have two expansion files, each up to 2 GB. What does this really mean? Here are some points which will make you understand about what this update from Google can do for developers and users.

Predominantly  50 MB size is enough for any kind of android applications. One of the famous android game Angry Birds Rio has the file size of 19 MB. However there are some types of apps e.g.  high-quality 3D interactive games  having advanced 3-D graphics, audio, and video which requires more resources.

Before I proceed, It should be clear that Android apps were free to exceed the size limit (50 MB) earlier also; however developers had to host the data on their own.

Traditionally, when user try to download such bigger apps or game from Android market, after downloading the core app, user is prompted to install additional files to complete the download. These additional files had to be hosted by developers .Obviously the file size of these additional files(which may be in GB’S) were not considered while showing the app size of that game/app on Android Market. Hence sometimes even a user may feel fooled as for app/game of 10 MB (as per app size shown in android market) we need to install additional 1-2 GB of data after installing the core apk.

Moreover downloading this additional data were often leading to expiry of the refund time. (Google provides a 15 min Refund window for paid apps. If you download an app and you uninstall within 15 mins, you can automatically get the refund for your purchased price. However For a bigger apps or games, downloading the additional data were often leading to expiry of this refund time as downloading of this additional data may takes several minutes.)

What’s Great Now after this update? 

  • As Google has increased the  Android app size limit  from 50 MB to 4GB to upload in Android Market, these additional files will now be hosted on Google’s server and developers will not have to host these additional files on their own expenses on some third party server.
  • As there will  be less restriction on the app size, we can expect to have some more good quality application in Android Market.
  • As all that data can be fully integrated into the APK and the expansion file, user will be able to see the total size of the app in Android Market before purchasing and downloading it.
  • Most Interestingly, unlike earlier, the refund window will begin only when you have installed all the files.
  • For Most newer devices, the expansion files will be automatically downloaded when you will download the core app from android market.
  • However for older devices Google will provide a downloaded library (developer tool) to download the expansion file.

In short this update from Google is beneficial for both Developers and Users.:)

Posted in Android Application Testing. Tags: . 1 Comment »

Docomo to Launch Remote Testing Center to Fight with Android Device Fragmentation

March 2, 2012 — anuragkhode

In Recently held conference on 15-02-12,NTT DOCOMO has decided to introduce an elaborate remote testing center, located at the University of Aizu in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan to help developers test their content. This Remote Testing Solution which is based on Perfecto Mobile Platform and executed by Accenture will have hundreds of handsets of all software versions, screen sizes and will help developers combat with Android device fragmentation. Here are some highlights of this proposed remote testing center:-

  • App developer can upload their application on the remote devices and can test their application
  • The system will allow 60 handsets to be tested at one time
  • Developers will be able reserve time slots on specific handsets
  • Developer can upload and test their software  on this platform
  • Developers will be able to run automated batch tests.
  • Developers will have Android testing Interface through which they can take desired action such as swipes, taps at specific locations and button presses.
  • Remote testers will be able to use the Android testing interface, which allows for actions
  • More advanced inputs, like pinching on the touch display, or GPS and accelerometer readings, will not be accessible
  • This service will enable smooth portability of content adaptation across devices.

Mobile testing center powered by the MobileCloud platform

In short this solution will be similar as Perfecto Mobile cloud or Device Anywhere from where user can remotely test their application.

Posted in Android Application Testing, Cloud Mobile Testing, Latest News. Tags: , . 2 Comments »

Unit Testing of Iphone and ipod:Utility to test your iphone

February 22, 2012 — anuragkhode

Have you ever had trouble using your iphone ? Trouble due to problem in touch operation or problem in call quality or so on?Well if you are one of them who really want to test their iphone, here is one utility from ManEye,the developer of this utility.Just one simple click and you can test your iPhone and iPod.This is The fastest and most useful Bad Testing App on APP STORE!This is what the developer has to say about this app.

Please checkout some features of this utility mentioned below which may help you to understand what exactly this app can do.

FEATURES:

➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠➠

► Appearance test

► bad pixels (all the colors needed for testing).

► button operation (Button Test Instructions).

► touch operation (accuracy, drag-and multi-touch)

► Call quality (voice quality and accurate numerical index notation)

► Verify the sensor (acceleration, gravity, and the location, intensity, proximity)

► Other confirmation (camera, speaker, microphone, WiFi switch)

This utility is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.It Requires iOS 3.1 or later

 Ver 1.1 is the latest version of this app it may cost you around 0.99$.You can download this utility from App store.

 

Posted in Iphone Application Testing, Mobile App Test-Utilities. 2 Comments »
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