Intel's Latest XDK HTML5 Mobile Development Platform Release Focuses on Cordova Plugins and Mobile Monetization

Intel has launched the latest release of its mobile development XDK, which provides a HTML5 and Javascript platform for mobile development. In this release, the company has focused on Cordova plugins and mobile monetization.

The Intel XDK now offers full support of Cordova APIs and plugins on iOS, Android, and Windows 8. Developers can take advantage of the number of plugins that other developers have created for Cordova at plugins.cordova.io, Github, and others resources, including Google Play Services for ads and in-app purchasing.  

Intel has created a new UI to help select the standard Cordova APIs needed and to specify which other plugins are desired for adding to an app package when built. The new UI also helps save build settings for projects rather than entering them only at build time.  Intel is still working on the ability to emulate the custom plugins which should be seen in a future release.

Intel also has added services API integration to connect an app to additional backend services including Kinvey, Dropbox, as well as datafeeds for weather, location, and market data, for example. OAuth2 support has been added (the new FourSquare and Instagram services use it). There are also opportunities for monetization through appMobi’s Storeview and 1Touch, and with Google Play Services via plugins for ads and in-app purchasing. With most of these, developers can enter credentials and get the Javascript code to drop into the editor, or automatically inject it into an app through the Intel App Designer. For services that Intel does not have integrated, developers can bring their own API to get them integrated for projects.

Intel notes that since they now have implemented Cordova 3.x support for all platforms, they are going to call most of the Intel XDK APIs deprecated. As the Intel dev team points out, all but a handful of them offer similar functionality one gets through the Cordova APIs, so there is really no need for them any longer. They intend to migrate the ”legacy” API users to Cordova over the next several months.

There are a number of other bug-fixes and general UI improvements to the XDK which can be found in the release notes.