Originally designed to be used via landline phones, NHS Direct – a service giving patients the ability to assess symptoms, get self-care and advice from nurses on call – eventually migrated to the web, and most recently, to smartphones.

Charlie Young was responsible for overseeing testing of the the app across iOS and Android OS devices. Lacking the in-house resources needed for this type of project, Charlie turned his attention to uTest.

“The safety of the application wasn’t an issue at that point,” said Charlie, who mentioned that the clinical requirements had already been met. “What we really needed to know was how humans would use this app. People use smartphones in many different ways, so we needed to make sure the user experience lived up to expectations – and that’s where uTest provided such value.”

The first test cycle would begin with testers submitting basic information about their hardware and software. From there, they were asked to browse the app without any stated requirements. Once they had a handle on the basic functionality, they were then asked a series of questions which touched upon areas such as:

• User interface (i.e. scrolling, vertical view, physical layout, etc.)
• Navigation (i.e. awareness of location within the app, easy to find what you need, etc.)
• Results (i.e. results are easy to find and understand)
• General feedback (i.e. what they liked or disliked, and would they recommend to a friend, etc.)

For the second test cycle, the twenty participants were asked to follow a “clinical journey” in which they were asked to use the application after being given a set of medical symptoms.

This case study details the usability test cycles run by NHS Direct – covering the process of requirements, creating usability surveys and more! Read the complete NHS case study here.

According to Game Developer Research, 25% of game developers are now making mobile games – that’s up from a mere 12% in 2009!

In addition, a survey conducted by iGR found that more than half (53%) of US mobile developers are building apps for Apple’s iPhone OS. BlackBerry was the next most popular, followed by Android and Windows Mobile.

In response to this incredible momentum, this year marks the launch of Mobile App World 2010, where global leaders in mobile tech and app development and entrepreneurs will gather to network and learn about the latest developments and innovations.

uTest will be among the outstanding line-up of more than 40 speakers, which includes Google, Microsoft, Ericsson, Orange Global and the BBC, who will be discussing the future of mobile apps. Shoot us a note if you’ll be around!

Note: If you’re looking for some cool, new mobile apps, check out Mobile App World’s August Apps Of The Month. You may spot a uTester’s favorite app!

Apple recently revealed that there is a fundamental flaw in their method for calculating how many signal bars to display.  And we have the iPhone 4 (and its “learn to hold your phone the right way” fiasco) to thank for bringing this software snafu to light.

CNN Money shares the following details from Apple:

“Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong,” Apple wrote in a statement posted on its website. “Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength.”

That means, for example, that iPhones sometimes display four bars when they should be displaying two. Apple said users reporting a significant drop in bars when they hold their iPhone 4 are probably in an area of “very weak signal strength” but were unaware of that because the phone displayed four to five bars.

“Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place,” the company said.

Perhaps most surprising, Apple disclosed that the problem is not confined to the iPhone 4.  The faulty formula has been present in every iPhone model since the 2007 original.  Questions remain about whether the issue is strictly software-related, or if it also involved hardware problems.  However, Apple has said it will release a free software update in the next several weeks to fix the glitch. It will use a new formula recommended by AT&T.

Which brings me to our latest bug-hunting competition. This quarter’s uTest Bug Battle will challenge testers to find bugs on the web AND mobile apps of the four major TV networks: CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX.

The competition gets started this Friday, February 5 at Noon (ET). At that time, testers from our community will be given one week to search these sites for the most compelling bugs, and to report them through our online platform. We’ll be dishing out nearly $4,000 in prize money for categories like Top Tester, Best Bug and Best Survey Feedback. As an added twist, we’re also including prizes for the Best Mobile Bugs.

More details on this Bug Battle – as well the rules, prizes and deadlines – after this commercial break. Just kidding, you can find them in the “Bug Battle” thread in the uTest Forums and we’ll be sharing more details here in the next few days.

So testers, you’ve got a few days to prepare for our most challenging competition to date. Until then, stay tuned.

His post is written about the iPhone, but it applies equally to Android, Blackberry or Symbian apps.  It also helps to explain why mobile apps have been the fastest growing segment of the uTest biz (phenomenal growth + still evolving market = a lot of testing to do).

Here are a few realizations from his recent trip to his local Apple store that seemed especially relevant for our readers (bullet points are his and the running commentary is mine) :

• Customer expectations are rising fast: Agreed, we’re seeing this in the uTest universe too.  In fact, user expectations seems to be climbing even faster than the pace at which standards are emerging or apps are improving.  Buggy or unreliable mobile apps now draw the same ire that defective web or desktops apps do.
• Mistakes are very visible: Agreed again.  Whether it’s functional problems or GUI issues, there’s nowhere for bugs to hide in a mobile app.  And as Jones says, “Old unaddressed comments are very public statement that the retailer doesn’t care; if you’re not committed to a mobile app, don’t deliver one.“
• People always want more: The notion of having a fairly static mobile app will quickly become an antiquated notion.  Users demand new and better features and a steady stream of new versions will be required to keep up with the competition.
• You have to do better than the web: If an app can’t top the experience of visiting the company’s site via the mobile browser, then don’t bother.

For those who are looking for an overview of mobile testing alternatives, check out our free mobile app testing eBook.  Have any other tips for the growing number of companies who are developing and marketing mobile apps?

But as demand continues to grow for top-quality iPhone apps — 100,000 different apps have been downloaded more than 2 billion times — many companies just can’t keep up.  So in the spirit of offering a build vs. buy alternative, now we’re back to share a great article from BusinessInsider about how to hire a great iPhone app developer.

Among the tips for companies looking to find a rockstar iPhone app developer include knowing what problem you want your app to solve, what it’s going to cost you and to avoid the temptation to rush your app to market (said differently, quality matters!).  It’s a good read, and definitely worthwhile if you participate (or intend to) in the rapidly growing market for iPhone apps.  Got your mobile app(s) developed, but want to know about the best ways to test your mobile apps?

Have other advice for entrepreneurs or companies who are looking to hire mobile app developers?  Drop us a comment and drop some knowledge.

Also helping Android’s case are some great new smartphones from manufacturers like HTC, Motorola and Samsung.

Robin Waulters from TechCrunch wrote a great piece today detailing the milestone and making some predictions for 2010:

2010 is going to be a big year for the Android operating system, with many new handsets finding their way to stores around the world (including Google’s own phone) and an increasing number of developers building tools, games and the likes for the fast-growing platform.

One way of noticing that the OS is poised for a big breakthrough at the expense of Windows Mobile, Symbian and other operating systems designed to run on various mobile devices, is the number of applications already available for download in the platform’s own application store, Android Market.

Waulters cited recently published data from AndroidLib, which showed an wildly impressive growth line for the Android Market (see the chart after the jump):

This prompted a bold prediction from the TechCrunch writer:

My guess Android Market will be serving 50,000 apps as early as Q2 2010.

What do you think?  Can the Android Market double in six months?  Will Android be able to challenge iPhone?

Doug Gross wrote a very interesting article over at CNN Tech about the one trend that could threaten to derail the otherwise unstoppable mobile movement.

Security analysts say they’ve already seen all of the major online threats — Trojan horses, viruses, worms — spreading on smartphones, often through e-mail attachments sent to the phones.

And as mobile apps have evolved from games and tip to calculators to company email, financial transactions and other mission-critical activities, the risk of security exploits grows considerably for mobile users and their employers.

The good news, experts say, is that phones present problems for hackers and other bad guys that traditional computers don’t.

Most viruses and other malware are designed for Windows, because that’s the most popular operating system. Since smartphones use a variety of different platforms, someone writing malicious software needs to pick and choose.

Wow, getting code to work across mobile platforms is so hard that even the hackers are having trouble!

The bottom line, according to experts? Treat your smartphone like a computer, not a telephone.

Sounds like good advice for mobile consumers (and developers too).  If your company builds mobile apps and you want to learn more about testing alternatives that work in the mobile world, check out our free, new mobile app testing eBook.

What do you think about the state of security for mobile apps — are you concerned and careful about your mobile online activities?  Or do you think it’s all just media hype?

One of the most common questions is whether our QA community has coverage for a range of mobile platforms like iPhone, Android and Blackberry.  The answer to all of the above is ‘yes’ (the answer to the multi-location, multi-language question is ‘yes’ as well).

This announcement has already resulted in several great articles from top-shelf tech sites, including eWeek and TechTarget, and got reported by mainstream media outlets such as MSNBC, MarketWatch, TMC.net and StreetInsider.

Over the weekend, as I pondered why this simple announcement resonated with so many mobile app companies and journalists, two thoughts came to mind:

1.  Shut up.  Don’t overthink this — just ride this wave!

2.  Testing for mobile apps is a widespread and serious problem with few viable solutions.  In fact, getting mobile apps properly tested is even tougher than web apps because the space is more complex and less mature.

And I guess that’s where a global community of professional testers plays nicely into the mobile app equation — because the hardest thing to build (global coverage across locations, languages, handsets, carriers, operating systems, etc.) is baked right in.  And the fact that our community can test mobile apps quickly, efficiently and on-demand doesn’t hurt either.

I’d love to hear from mobile app developers about how they test today, or from testers about the challenges that are unique to mobile. It’s a topic that’s going to be top-of-mind for the next year or more (just wait ’til mobile really clashes with the enterprise), so let’s start the discussion now.

“I found myself wanting to throw it in the ocean due to my frustration with its overall usability,” said Steven Golub, a longtime Verizon customer from Morristown, N.J., who bought the Storm the day it was released, but returned it a few weeks later.

That’s pretty damning, but let’s stop and give RIM some benefit of the doubt.  Buggy software is a customer turn-off, and undoubtedly bad reviews will dampen customer enthusiasm.  But here’s a quote from the same Wall Street Journal article:

Verizon and RIM, determined to release the Storm in time for the holidays, rushed the device to market despite glitches in the stability of the phone’s operating system, according to people close to the launch.

RIM had a choice to make – release a buggy product in time for the holidays, taking bad reviews on the chin, or wait until the Storm worked better and try to gain market share during the traditionally slow Q1 made even slower by a bad economy.  We really can’t know for sure if RIM made the right decision, but there are some lessons other companies can learn here:

1.) Know Your Limitations - We all have limitations in our planning: not enough time, not enough people, or not enough testing.  Maybe your budget is limited or maybe you need to hit a holiday launch date.  Either way, it’s very important to be aware of your limitations early in the process.  If you have a tight schedule and a firm launch date, then you should make sure you have enough resources for last-minute development and testing.  If you don’t have enough people, then you should evaluate different contingencies for alternate launch dates.

2.) Work Smarter – You may feel like you have to cut corners to overcome your limitations, but the Internet can make it easy to expand your efficiency on-demand.  There are many companies that can help you add capacity to overcome bottlenecks and release a better product on time.  The uTest software testing service is perfect for helping companies improve their testing, but solutions exist for everything from coding to graphic design.

3.) Have Good Customer Data – If you’ve already passed the point of no return, then you will have to make a tough decision.  In this case, nothing helps more than really good customer data.  In RIM’s case, they had to decide between weaker customer demand because of timing or because of bugs.  Between the two, they chose to cast their lot with a buggier product over a late product.

RIM still sold 500,000 Storms over the holidays, and that’s not bad.  This is also their first touchscreen device and it holds tremendous design potential.  While Storm Version 1 had a rocky launch, Storm Version 2 may take the world by, well, storm.