mokil
Latest Articles by mokil
Responding To Inbound SMS Messages
February 25, 2011, by mokil
In our last article, we created the basis of a messaging system, allowing us to receive inbound messages using keywords and shortcodes. We’ve also previously seen how we can send SMS messages. It’s time to bring everything together and create a simple messaging system that can process inbound SMS messages and send back responses to those messages. The Current System... Read More
Receiving SMS Messages via Shortcodes & Keywords
November 1, 2010, by mokil
Back around 1998, more and more billboards started to display some odd messages, along the lines of "Visit us on the web at www.companyname.com". This was a major shift in advertising and gave marketers another avenue to explore. It was, of course, the beginning of the Internet's move from academia to the mainstream, and the proliferation of Web sites seemed to happen almost overnight... Read More
Handling SMS delivery receipts
September 1, 2010, by mokil
Recently, we looked at how to send SMS messages using a standard HTTP POST-based API. As was intimated at the time, most APIs also allow you to process delivery receipts for the messages you send. This allows you to determine the status of the message, i.e. delivered, failed, expired etc. Let's take a look at how this all works. Sending SMS Messages - A Quick Recap... Read More
Sending SMS from Apps and Webapps
August 10, 2010, by mokil
It’s easy to send SMS messages from any Web site or application, but it’s surprising how few sites/applications actually do this. Integrating SMS into your system gives it something extra, and allows your system to enhance the mobile experience for the user. In this article, we’ll look at how an SMS message can be sent from any system, and at a few providers who offer this functionality. Choosing an SMS Provider There are essentially three types of SMS provider: Mobile Network (e.g. Vodafone, Three) Aggregator SMS Messaging Company... Read More
Testing on Physical Devices Made Easy
July 19, 2010, by mokil
In past articles, we've discussed testing mobile Web sites using browsers, and testing using emulators. Using this combination, along with a solid test plan, should bring you to a point where your mobile site is stable and appears to be working correctly on a number of devices. Ah, but wait; what do I mean by appears to be?... Read More
A Guide to Mobile Emulators
October 14, 2009, by mokil
In a previous article, I put forward a three-point plan for testing mobile Web sites. One of the points involved the use of emulators for first-pass device testing. This article concentrates on configuring emulators for mobile site testing (it also highlights emulators that can be used to test mobile applications too). It outlines the different types of emulator available, the best ones to use, and the various ways in which they can be used. For the uninitiated, an emulator is a software program that aims to replicate the functions of a specific piece of hardware or software... Read More
Testing Mobile Web Sites Using Firefox
August 12, 2009, by mokil
Before you ever begin testing your mobile site to determine how it looks on handsets, you should make sure the functionality of the site is working as you expect. This is not always straightforward, as you want to approximate the mobile environment as closely as possible. Fortunately, Mozilla Firefox supports some great extensions that can make testing your mobile sites a piece of cake. This article explains how to set Firefox up to act as a first pass test environment for your site... Read More
