Testflight
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TestFlight leaves private Android beta, lets devs test their own beta apps
After just shy of two months in private beta, TestFlight's now ready to welcome any devs wanting to upload apps and put them through their paces. As mentioned when it first appeared, the Android version (which bridges the app gap with an identical iOS iteration) includes app management, tracking and distribution as well as centralized feedback, keeping all those improvements in one easy-to-manage pile. Crash reporting is promised in the near future, alongside the release of its own SDK -- early adopters will get to try that out as soon as next week.
Virgin Galactic's commercial space plane makes first successful test flight
Attention, amateur space cadets! If you've ever wanted to swing on a star or see one up close, consider this proof positive Virgin Galactic's that much closer to making your dreams come true. SpaceShipTwo, its inventively named commercial vehicle designed to take well-moneyed civilians into outerspace, has just completed its first rocket-powered test flight. The craft, partially owned by Virgin group overlord Sir Richard Branson and the Abu Dhabi-based investment group PJC, took off earlier today from its berth at Mojave Air and Space Port in California, where carrier-craft WhiteKnightTwo ferried it to a 47,000 ft altitude after which its own rockets kicked in for a supersonic flight. In all, the solo run lasted just slightly over ten minutes, during which the SS2 notched an altitude of 55,000 feet before returning safely back to its desert port. For its first outing, the SS2 scored high marks by Virgin Galactic chief George Whitesides' estimation, performing just as expected with "expected burn duration, good engine performance and solid... handling qualities throughout." It's encouraging news for the nascent space tourism industry, although it's worth noting this flight carried reduced risk considering it was bound to our own atmosphere. The team anticipates that "full space flight" testing will begin sometime before year's end. As for when you'll be able to actually book a real deal luxury space flight? Virgin Galactic's set a tentative 2015 date for that, giving you, the every(wo)man, plenty of time to save up or mortgage your life for the opportunity to tour the cosmos.
Watch live: Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket to lift off on test flight (update: success!)
SpaceX may be the only private outfit currently shepherding cargo to the International Space Station, but Orbital Sciences, which is the second party in NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services effort, is taking a step towards its own ISS resupply missions. Today, the firm's Antares rocket will undergo its very first test flight, taking off from the space agency's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia. Liftoff is slated for sometime between 5PM and 7PM, with an 80 percent chance of favorable weather, as opposed to the 45 percent odds and high-altitude winds that foiled its initial attempt yesterday. To watch Antares embark on its maiden voyage, hit the jump for a live video feed. Update: Antares blasted off at a hair past 5PM and successfully separated from its mock payload. The live stream has wrapped up, but we'll slot in a video of the launch as soon as we get ahold of one. Update 2: NASA just posted its footage of the rocket taking off, and we've placed the video after the break for your viewing pleasure. [Image credit: NASA, Flickr]
FlightPath from TestFlight features realtime analytics for developers
TestFlight has long been known by developers as a very useful tool for testing iOS apps (even outside of Apple's distribution system), and for a while now there's also been a TestFlight SDK, which developers can insert into their app code to track various testers and their actions in the app. But today, TestFlight has introduced FlightPath, which is a separate product designed for analytics post-release. FlightPath is a real-time analytics platform: Developers can insert FlightPath code into their apps, and the service will then provide real-time information on customer usage, any crashes the app experiences and even segmented data to target the information precisely. In other words, it sounds like TestFlight is taking its SDK to the release stage. There are a number of analytics services like this -- Google runs one; Flurry is a popular choice; and there are plenty more. But TestFlight has a lot of great experience at providing information to developers directly, so FlightPath should be a helpful tool for anyone used to using their SDK. Currently, FlightPath is still in beta, so we don't have any information yet on how it'll all be priced out. Given how these services work, there will likely be a free option, with charges for premium services or support. Until that's all announced, you can sign up for the beta on the main site, and TUAW has been offered special priority access for the first 100 developers who sign up using this link. Show full PR text TESTFLIGHT LAUNCHES FLIGHTPATH: REAL TIME, ACTIONABLE ANALYTICS FOR APP DEVELOPERS Intuitive Analytics Tool Allows Developers to Customize, Analyze & Manage Data in One Click SANTA MONICA, Calif. – March 21, 2013 – TestFlight, the leading app beta-testing platform used by more than 300,000 apps, today announced the private beta launch of FlightPath, an intuitive analytics solution for mobile app developers. FlightPath brings app data to life in an easy to understand front-page format that is fully interactive and encourages deeper data exploration due to its real-time delivery. "Today we're launching FlightPath, a product that will help streamline mobile analytics. We built TestFlight to help developers build better apps and now FlightPath will help developers build a better business," states Ben Satterfield, co-founder of TestFlight. "Up until now, it can be a laborious and complex process for developers to use existing analytics tools to learn more about their app's usage. It usually involves digging through multiple pages and then waiting hours in order to view specific data. With FlightPath, developers can now do it all on one page, with one click." FlightPath delivers real-time views of high-level data and instant drill downs into limitless combinations of core metrics. Developers can choose from preset segments and add to them on the fly or explore by clicking multiple data points to see how the information changes based on each attribute. Preset segments provide immediate insight including views such as "Loyal Users," "Early Adopters," or "Flight Risks." Key features include: · Single page UI for all analytics · Real-time data · One-click pivoting on any attribute · Click any data point to create endless combinations · Preset segments to view valuable data with no setup required · Instantly save any custom segment · View number of crashes by audience segment Developers can use the same TestFlight SDK to activate FlightPath when they submit to the app store. The SDK is one line of code and takes seconds to include. To learn more, please visit http://www.FlightPathApp.com
Origin Stories: TestFlight
This week's Origin Stories goes to the heart of a problem developers had at the beginning of the App Store: how to easily deal with beta builds. There are numerous restrictions and difficulties for developers who wish to give out beta versions of an app for review or bug testing, and that's where TestFlight stepped in. The company has gone beyond this, however, and now offers a plethora of services to help developers (including Android support). In this episode I talk to Ben Satterfield of TestFlight about their journey.
TestFlight reaches Android in beta, gives app developers a safety net
You may not know about TestFlight if you're used to running apps rather than building them, but odds are that you know its effects when over 300,000 iOS apps have reached testers that hopefully caught bugs in advance. That makes the launch of a private Android beta something of an event, as it gives developers the same simple feedback and provisioning for pre-release apps. Coders who split their time between both Android and iOS also get a truly cross-platform management console as part of the expansion. There's no set date for when the beta expires, but TestFlight eventually plans to offer its utility directly through the Google Play Store -- and might just keep the Android app train rolling smoothly.
TestFlight hits 300,000 iOS apps uploaded, going Android compatible
I've used the TestFlight digital testing and distribution system for mobile apps a few times, both as an end-user (when companies want to send me their apps to try out), and as a developer (when I've passed an app I'm working on to someone else for testing). Apple's app distribution and provisioning system can be tough to figure out, but TestFlight makes it all much easier, with a very snazzy web interface, and the ability to install a preview app on a non-jailbroken device with just a few taps on the screen. Now, TestFlight is becoming even more useful for developers on all platforms, as the service has announced compatibility with Android phones. You might argue that doesn't affect us here on the iOS side of the fence, but it does show just how big TestFlight has gotten. The company has announced that it's hosting more than 300,000 iOS apps already, with one-third of those uploaded in just the past 90 days. Its client base expands beyond independent developers. TestFlight tells TUAW it has hosted builds for big companies like Adobe, Disney, Spotify and Tumblr. We occasionally heard rumors that Apple might want to buy TestFlight, considering how great the company is at distributing mobile apps. I'm not sure if this Android announcement helps or hurts that line of thinking. On the one hand, Apple might want to pick up TestFlight just to keep the service iOS exclusive, but of course any experience on Android would become generally useless if an acquisition does happen. I think TestFlight will stay where it is. The service is very helpful and seems to be booming, so it seems unlikely that Apple will swoop in and acquire it for the official app ecosystem.
TestFlight Desktop app now in beta
A growing number of iOS developers use TestFlight to deliver beta software to testers. Now the company is releasing a beta of its own -- the beta of TestFlight Desktop App. TestFlight refers to the OS X app as "a significant and much needed change in developers' beta release workflow" and is asking for devs to provide as much feedback as possible. The Desktop App provides four primary functions: Archive Detection, which automatically notifies you of any new iOS archives and also provide you with access to the most recent archived apps straight from the menu bar. Permit and Notify, used to choose testers directly or through distribution lists and then notify testers with a click. dSYM and SDK Detection, which automatically detects and uploads new dSYMs to TestFlight. Faster Uploads to TestFlight's CDN at maximum speed. Dropped uploads are resumed automatically. If you're a developer who uses TestFlight to distribute beta apps, the Desktop App is available now to help you out. For iOS developers who aren't yet using TestFlight, this is a perfect opportunity to take a look at a powerful tool for streamlining the beta process.
X-51A WaveRider hypersonic mission doomed by bum missile fin
The latest attempt to go past Mach 5 with the X51A has finished badly again, as a broken fin caused the missile to lose control before its air-breathing "scramjet'" motor could even kick in. It happened just after the booster rocket phase, which accelerates the craft to at least Mach 4, a high enough velocity for the hypersonic scramjet to work. The craft ended up in the Pacific shortly afterwards instead, and this latest affair may end up dunking the entire $300 million program. The Air Force initiative is already short on funding, and the previous two tries were equally dismal failures -- meaning a fourth missile, already built, may end up a museum piece.
PSA: Space X streaming test-firing of Falcon 9 at 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT (update: video)
Today, SpaceX is test-firing the engines of its Falcon 9 rocket in preparation for that oft-delayed May 7th launch for its Dragon capsule. You'll be able to watch the static-fire test from the comfort of your own desk by pointing a browser at the company website (link below) from 2:30pm ET / 11:30am PT. If successful, then the rocket will lift-off properly in a week's time, with designs on being the first commercial craft used to resupply the International Space Station. Update: For those who missed the live stream, you can check out a replay of today's event just after the break.
Burstly acquires TestFlight, builds "TestFlight Live"
TestFlight and Burstly shook up the developer world today when the pair confirmed that TestFlight has been acquired by Burstly. TestFlight is a platform that lets developers distribute test builds of their apps to a beta audience; while Burstly is platform that helps developers track and monetize their apps. Together the duo has created TestFlight Live, a new platform that'll let developers distribute their apps and track both their usage and performance. TestFlight Live is a real-time dashboard which shows overall app engagement, revenue, audience, and stability. The dashboard tracks stats like the number of unique users, number of visiting users, lists of different devices, in-app versus paid app purchases and more. It's similar to HockeyApp, another platform for distributing beta versions of applications and tracking their performance. Both TestFlight and TestFlight Live will be free for developers and developers already using TestFlight can start using the Live service now. TestFlight and Burstly plan to keep the basic framework of TestFlight Live free and will monetize the system using premium features in the future. It's compatible with Safari on the desktop, the iPad, and the iPhone. [Via PandoDaily]
Report: Orion test flight pushed back to 2014, manned flight delayed until 2021
Even something as exhaustively planned as the test-flight of the Orion spacecraft isn't immune to a slipping timeline. It's reportedly been pushed back from next year to 2014 -- when we're expecting to see the capsule launch from Cape Canaveral, loop around the planet twice at 3,700 miles (the furthest any spacecraft has journeyed since the '70s) before splashing down in the Pacific. This unmanned test was designed to see if the vehicle's heat-shield, flight-software and parachutes all work before lives are risked on board. It's also signified a pushing back of the first launch from 2016 until 2021. This means there's nine more years before someone calls us up as a crew replacement -- at least that's how our dream goes.
Bezos' New Shepard takes off and escorts itself back to the landing pad (video)
Since being awarded $22 million from NASA to develop a commercial space vehicle, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin has been relatively quiet. There's been a couple of test flights, one of which didn't end so well for the water tank-shaped ship, but we haven't actually gotten to see the New Shepard (a nod to Alan Shepard) in action. Well friends, take a gander after the break to see the reusable, suborbital launch vehicle climb a short distance into the air then gracefully settle back down with the aid its landing thrusters. This particular craft is meant to launch a separate passenger capsule on short suborbital flights, but Blue Origin is also working on an orbital vehicle. But, please, don't waste any more time -- go watch the take off and landing below.
TestFlight offers new SDK, adds feedback and enterprise support
We've covered TestFlight before, and I recently started using it to test a top secret app for AOL*. If you're a developer who wants to reduce the friction of testing beta apps for iOS, you absolutely must check it out. It makes beta distribution of your app a drop-dead simple process by leveraging a native TestFlight app and whatever beta you wish to deploy. Yesterday TechCrunch noted that version 2 of the service is rolling out, with even more goodies for developers. What goodies? Many of the additions involve getting user feedback, a somewhat large hole in the otherwise awesome service. There are also hooks for crash reports and "check points" to monitor actual use in the app. TestFlight now also supports enterprise accounts so you can deploy your beta to as many devices as you need (provided you have an Enterprise developer account with Apple, of course). While TestFlight is free for developers, they are reserving the right to start charging for some of these new features. I think that's a smart move. Things like check points are immensely valuable to developers who create complex apps, but less so if your app has a very basic feature set. It's also good for them to start monetizing this service so it persists -- as of right now it is absolutely a best of breed service that all iOS developers should consider. *Feel free to guess what I'm testing in the comments. I'll never tell! Well, I'll have to eventually.
DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 hypersonic aircraft launches today, does New York to LA in 12 minutes (update: lost in flight)
All eyes are on Vandenberg Air Force Base in California today, where DARPA's Falcon HTV-2 unmanned aircraft is scheduled to launch into space at hypersonic speeds, as part of a critical test flight. Measuring just 12 feet in length, the HTV-2 maxes out at a speed of about 1300 16,700 miles per hour (Mach 22), theoretically allowing it to jet from New York to Los Angeles in just 12 minutes and to reach anywhere in the world in less than an hour. The main obstacle, however, has been transitioning from theory to practice. During its first test flight back in April, the craft lasted just nine minutes before intentionally crashing, due to technical failures. DARPA still doesn't know what went wrong during that fateful test, though the agency speculates that the Falcon may have simply overheated. This time around, engineers have adjusted plane's center of gravity and angle of descent, in the hopes that their creation will fare better when it launches on the back of a Minotaur IV rocket, later today. If the test proves successful, it may help fuel similarly inter-galactic defense projects that the Pentagon is exploring as a means to combat terrorism and enemy states. We'll have to wait a little longer to find out whether this initiative actually takes off, but in the meantime, head past the break for a demo video from DARPA. Update: Sadly, while the Minotaur IV rocket launch and separation were successful, the Falcon HTV-2 itself was lost nine minutes into its flight this morning just as its predecessor was. DARPA did manage to collect data up until the crash (somewhere in the Pacific Ocean), however, and says that it plans to review it over the coming weeks. Third time's the charm, maybe?
Lockheed Martin's HALE-D airship learns to fly, makes a crash landing
Because dirigibles were such a great idea the first, completely non-disastrous time around, Lockheed Martin and the US Army have teamed up to bring the quaint technology back into our hyper-modern era. The lighter-than-air vehicle got a new lease on unmanned flight life when it launched yesterday from its base in Akron, Ohio. The High Altitude Long Endurance-Demonstrator (HALE-D for short) reached 32,000 ft during its maiden voyage before technical difficulties cut the test short, forcing an emergency landing in the deep woods of southwestern Pennsylvania. Despite the flight-aborting hiccup, the global security company is all smiles, citing the successful demonstration of "communications links, [the] unique propulsion system, solar array electricity generation [and] remote piloting communications." Future real-world versions of HALE-D could serve as a military "telecommunications relay system" over foreign terrain -- like Afghanistan -- where radio signals can't penetrate. The Defense Department contractor is currently retrieving the airship from its foresty crash pad, but you can bet some locals already called this close encounter in to the local papers. Skip past the break for Archer's take on our government's latest airborne effort.
Today's World IPv6 Day: Google, Bing, Facebook and others test out new addresses for 24 hours
Described as a "test flight" of IPv6, today marks the biggest concerted effort by some of the web's marquee players to turn us all on to the newer, fancier web addressing system. Internet Protocol version 4 has been the template by which we've addressed everything connected to the web so far, but that stuff's now nearing exhaustion, so the future demands a longer, more complex nomenclature to tell our smartphones, tablets, printers, and other webOS devices apart. For end users, June 8th won't really feel too different from June 7th -- this will be a change that occurs mostly behind the scenes and there's an IPv4 fallback option if you can't connect in the modern way -- but Google does warn that a very limited subset of users may experience connectivity issues as a result. Hit the links below to see how well prepared for the future you are.
Martin Jetpack hits the 5,000 feet milestone, could come to market within 18 months (video)
OK, so the Martin Jetpack may not have gone into commercial production quite as soon as we'd anticipated, but there's still hope on the horizon. Over the weekend, Glenn Martin's flying machine successfully climbed some 5,000 feet above sea level, marking a new milestone in the 30-year, $12 million project. Remotely controlled by a tailing helicopter, the 250-pound craft used its two "superfans" to power itself skyward at about 800 feet per second minute, before safely parachuting back to Earth from a height of about 3,000 feet. As with its last test run, however, the Martin Jetpack was equipped not with a human being, but with a crash dummy. It may have been for the best, though, considering that the machine sustained some damage upon concluding the ten-minute flight. Nevertheless, Martin seems confident that yesterday's test "brings the future another step closer," and is hoping to deliver his brainchild to customers within the next 18 months -- plenty of time for us to hawk enough family heirlooms to afford that $86,000 price tag. Soar past the break for a video of the jetpack's big launch, or check out the source link for a more extensive interview with Martin and some background footage of his invention. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Solar Impulse's first international flight is underway (live)
We've been following Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane for a few years now. Today, right now as a matter of fact, the pioneering Swiss HB-SIA aircraft with 200-foot wingspan is attempting its first international flight. The flight to Brussels began at 8:40am (0640GMT) and should conclude about 12 to 13 hours later when Andre Borshberg brings all 12,000 photovoltaic cells to the ground in a controlled (we hope) landing. If successful then we can expect the craft to take on the Atlantic, Lindbergh style, in 2012 or 2013. Hit the source link below to track Solar Impulse's position in real-time and to witness a live video feed of this historic event.
Martin Jetpack flies again, sees IPO on horizon but no commercial sales yet (video)
We were all aflutter this time last year when it was announced that the Martin Jetpack was finally available commercially and would be heading out to eager buyers in exchange for $86,000. Regrettably, the time since then hasn't been filled with bunches of happy new owners levitating on the power of their dual-fan-equipped Jetpack and even less encouragement can be found on the product's website, which still says that sales to private individuals will begin only once "development and refinement" of the vehicle is complete. To that end, we've got video of the Jetpack's latest test, which shows it elevating as high as it's ever done, but even that's tinged by the fact it's carrying a testing dummy and is remotely controlled by a grounded human below. Ah well, at least the company itself seems to be in good shape still and is looking forward to floating about 30 percent of its value on the local stock market in order to gain extra funding. We get the feeling if they could just start selling the darn things, cashflow shouldn't be a problem. Video after the break. [Thanks, Sean]
