Update for AdMob Plugin?

[guruk]

Hi there, when i compile now for ios i get

<Google:HTML> You are currently using version 6.12.2 of the SDK, which doesn’t officially support iOS 8. Please consider updating your SDK to the most recent sdk version, 7.0.0, to get iOS 8 support, including a fix for smart banner rendering in landscape mode. The latest SDK can be downloaded from http://goo.gl/iGzfsP. A full list of release notes is available at https://developers.google.com/mobile-ads-sdk/docs/admob/ios/rel-notes.

when will be this updated?

thanks

chris

[roaminggamer]

@Staff,

Hi.  I noticed this a couple days ago too (build 2014.2570, when attempting to show AdMob-v2 Interstitial), but failed to follow up on it.  However, now I have a question:

“Should we …” 

• File this kind of issue (out of date library warning) as a bug?
• Post it in the forums?
• OR … other?

Thanks,

Ed

[rob]

We generally look at updated libraries and see what things they fix, see what issues they create, figure out how much impact it has on us.  We can’t always just keep updated to the latest version.

If there is a bug it’s causing, and the updated library fixes it, we will upgrade it (bug reports help).  If there is a feature there that you will get for free or if it’s not a tough addition, then a feature request may be the right channel to let us know you want it. 

Rob

[davebollinger]

I’d like to see it updated just in hopes that the “including a fix for smart banner rendering in landscape mode” addresses the issue that I’ve seen:   Certain combinations of content size, versus certain device resolutions, seem to lead to a scaling factor whereby the smart banner request is 1 pixel too wide, in landscape mode only, and ads fail to appear, with a message in the log about requested image being too big, same app on device of another resolution (where i guess the math works out differently) works fine.

[elbowroomapps]

The problem with this update plan it that it puts CoronaLabs in a position of saying we know better than the Admob developers, if an update is needed. All you have to go on are the release notes and they don’t always tell the full story of what’s in a release.

What type of response would you expect if you report a problem to Admob with an out of date version? 

How hard is it to update? I’m assuming the API is not constantly changing. Don’t you just need to grad a copy of the latest version and recompile? For testing, corona users are usually happy to help with that.

[rob]

Sure it’s not hard.  But it’s still a lot of work and time consuming.  Just to give you an idea what all is involved in updating a plugin to a new SDK:

The engineer just has to research the differences, get the SDK, check out the latest code from source control, verify that nothing is breaking.  Then they have to make the changes, build it locally and test it.  If all is good then it goes through a code review.  Push the code back to the repo.  Then someone has merge it with the code that actually does the builds.  Then we have to hope the library doesn’t create regression bugs that will take us time to have to hack around.  And oh, do that for all the other 3rd party libraries that we use.   It’s just AdMob.  People want the Facebook or some other 3rd party library updated.

We have to balance these requests with all the requests for bug fixes and other new features and try and strike a balance in what to do.  So yes, we have to make decisions and if looking at the release notes doesn’t address reported bugs or are due to pending vendor deadlines, or have some must-have feature that the community has been clamoring for then we are going to work on other bugs and features that are in higher demand.

Rob

[RadekS]

Hi Rob,

Any progress on this one or any estimated timeline?

Cheers,

Radek

[rob]

Ed was asking if this should be a bug report or post it in the forums or what.  First the only forum reports that make it to engineering are things that are severely broken for the entire community.  For instance, a bunch of people couldn’t login over the weekend.  When we see a bunch of people saying “Hey this is broken” and you can’t use the product, we get engineering on that right away.  

If it’s an issue you’re having and it’s not working as expected, post to the forums.  Hopefully the community or Brent and I can help solve the problem.  If it’s a bug and there is a reproducible test case, then you file a bug report.

If things are working fine, and there is something new you want, then you file a feature request at http://feedback.coronalabs.com

This is not a bug or an emergency. If you want it implemented, someone will need to file a feedback request and get it voted up.    That’s what I would recommend.

Rob

[RadekS]

Hi Rob,

I must disagree with you on this your statement “This is not a bug or an emergency.”. From my perspective this IS emergency.

From my perspective I suddenly loose 30% of my revenue. Simply because there is “outdated” plugin for admob. Currently none of my applications done in Corona is showing ads for iOS 8 devices. From my perspective this is emergency as each month I will be loosing thousands of dollars. I’m sure that this is the case of a lot of people using AdMob as iOS monetization. Them might not even know that there is an issue with their ads. I got surprised. 

Another thing is that I cannot “update” plugin myself and I am dependent on you guys.

Is there a way to use AdMob with Corona Enterprise as custom SDK for Android and iOS? I understand that this way I would be able to implement these ads myself?

Cheers,

Radek

[guruk]

@RadekS :  I still get Ads with Admob.

But I also Agree!

To update Ad-SDKs. should be a priority!  And as usually only the SDK from the Network has to be changed, its not suchhhh a big deal as said. Right, Corona is to make development easy, but as serious Developers we also like to make Income. And we know 90% is from Ads rather Selling. We cant live from our great apps we develop with Corona when the Income is not as good.

Also Enterprise is a nice thing. To rapidly develop I will always keep on the pro Version. One Button and I have my Android/iOS App. not compiling here and there and x more Things I have to look for in Enterprise.

Please Corona, I also said it 100 Times. Its great to have 25 different and additional 2D Effects and another GFX feature here and there.

Thats fancy for a Young Developer with less experience who just like to make fast some EyeCatching Effects. But also lots of this things can be done by creativity and algorithms.

Talked as a Pro User (not Enterprise) as most here. We cant implement 3rd Party Plugins from Adnetworks ourself. Thats a pitty.

We cant offer Android Users native Widgets on the Mainscreen to keep them eyecatching and updated with our Apps (that would keep Users and give a really extra bonsu). We cant even implement the native Cloud Features from iOS/Android so users dont have to backup with a 3rd party app, so we have to live with the Complains that the loose all their data while switching devices.

Now after YEARS. we ‘may’ get the Mac/Windows Apps. All that should have been priorized earlier… and if not earlier than from now.

Corona should make things EASY… and Profitable and EndUser Friendly. 

• Easy; LUA as it is (not Java or C#) and the Pro System to click and get Apps for several Platforms.

• Profitable:  To have ACTUAL Adnetworks with a Variety of Plugins (that makes a Competition useful for the Devs)

• End user Friendly:  Cloud Support, Android Widgets, Fingerprint Support (a great thing to let User login in one Business App)

That would really push the Apps. Not because we tell our Users

“Hey, we have 25 2D Features and other Gfx Effects, but sorry to say, NO Cloud Support, NO Android Widgets, NO FingerPrint … NO NO)”

Than corona would really be the APP for Every serious Developer, not just Kids who play around.

So we have to think about Enterprise, or if we switch to another Framework.

I really hope this Post is not Vain. Im open for a real Discussion about as a valued “PARTNER” … but please no standart answers, like

we have no Ressources etc. A Discussion why for example the xth GFX Feature is more important than "Ad SDK Updates, Cloud Support, Android Widgets etc… "

Thanks

Chris

[rob]

If you feel that there is a bug, feel free to file a bug report.  Considering no one else is saying they are not getting ads on iOS 8, I suspect the message is just the typical message Google provides to encourage people to upgrade.

Rob

[roaminggamer]

@Staff,

Hi.  I noticed this a couple days ago too (build 2014.2570, when attempting to show AdMob-v2 Interstitial), but failed to follow up on it.  However, now I have a question:

“Should we …” 

• File this kind of issue (out of date library warning) as a bug?
• Post it in the forums?
• OR … other?

Thanks,

Ed

[rob]

We generally look at updated libraries and see what things they fix, see what issues they create, figure out how much impact it has on us.  We can’t always just keep updated to the latest version.

If there is a bug it’s causing, and the updated library fixes it, we will upgrade it (bug reports help).  If there is a feature there that you will get for free or if it’s not a tough addition, then a feature request may be the right channel to let us know you want it. 

Rob

[davebollinger]

I’d like to see it updated just in hopes that the “including a fix for smart banner rendering in landscape mode” addresses the issue that I’ve seen:   Certain combinations of content size, versus certain device resolutions, seem to lead to a scaling factor whereby the smart banner request is 1 pixel too wide, in landscape mode only, and ads fail to appear, with a message in the log about requested image being too big, same app on device of another resolution (where i guess the math works out differently) works fine.

[elbowroomapps]

The problem with this update plan it that it puts CoronaLabs in a position of saying we know better than the Admob developers, if an update is needed. All you have to go on are the release notes and they don’t always tell the full story of what’s in a release.

What type of response would you expect if you report a problem to Admob with an out of date version? 

How hard is it to update? I’m assuming the API is not constantly changing. Don’t you just need to grad a copy of the latest version and recompile? For testing, corona users are usually happy to help with that.

[rob]

Sure it’s not hard.  But it’s still a lot of work and time consuming.  Just to give you an idea what all is involved in updating a plugin to a new SDK:

The engineer just has to research the differences, get the SDK, check out the latest code from source control, verify that nothing is breaking.  Then they have to make the changes, build it locally and test it.  If all is good then it goes through a code review.  Push the code back to the repo.  Then someone has merge it with the code that actually does the builds.  Then we have to hope the library doesn’t create regression bugs that will take us time to have to hack around.  And oh, do that for all the other 3rd party libraries that we use.   It’s just AdMob.  People want the Facebook or some other 3rd party library updated.

We have to balance these requests with all the requests for bug fixes and other new features and try and strike a balance in what to do.  So yes, we have to make decisions and if looking at the release notes doesn’t address reported bugs or are due to pending vendor deadlines, or have some must-have feature that the community has been clamoring for then we are going to work on other bugs and features that are in higher demand.

Rob

[RadekS]

Hi Rob,

Any progress on this one or any estimated timeline?

Cheers,

Radek

[rob]

Ed was asking if this should be a bug report or post it in the forums or what.  First the only forum reports that make it to engineering are things that are severely broken for the entire community.  For instance, a bunch of people couldn’t login over the weekend.  When we see a bunch of people saying “Hey this is broken” and you can’t use the product, we get engineering on that right away.  

If it’s an issue you’re having and it’s not working as expected, post to the forums.  Hopefully the community or Brent and I can help solve the problem.  If it’s a bug and there is a reproducible test case, then you file a bug report.

If things are working fine, and there is something new you want, then you file a feature request at http://feedback.coronalabs.com

This is not a bug or an emergency. If you want it implemented, someone will need to file a feedback request and get it voted up.    That’s what I would recommend.

Rob

[RadekS]

Hi Rob,

I must disagree with you on this your statement “This is not a bug or an emergency.”. From my perspective this IS emergency.

From my perspective I suddenly loose 30% of my revenue. Simply because there is “outdated” plugin for admob. Currently none of my applications done in Corona is showing ads for iOS 8 devices. From my perspective this is emergency as each month I will be loosing thousands of dollars. I’m sure that this is the case of a lot of people using AdMob as iOS monetization. Them might not even know that there is an issue with their ads. I got surprised. 

Another thing is that I cannot “update” plugin myself and I am dependent on you guys.

Is there a way to use AdMob with Corona Enterprise as custom SDK for Android and iOS? I understand that this way I would be able to implement these ads myself?

Cheers,

Radek

[guruk]

@RadekS :  I still get Ads with Admob.

But I also Agree!

To update Ad-SDKs. should be a priority!  And as usually only the SDK from the Network has to be changed, its not suchhhh a big deal as said. Right, Corona is to make development easy, but as serious Developers we also like to make Income. And we know 90% is from Ads rather Selling. We cant live from our great apps we develop with Corona when the Income is not as good.

Also Enterprise is a nice thing. To rapidly develop I will always keep on the pro Version. One Button and I have my Android/iOS App. not compiling here and there and x more Things I have to look for in Enterprise.

Please Corona, I also said it 100 Times. Its great to have 25 different and additional 2D Effects and another GFX feature here and there.

Thats fancy for a Young Developer with less experience who just like to make fast some EyeCatching Effects. But also lots of this things can be done by creativity and algorithms.

Talked as a Pro User (not Enterprise) as most here. We cant implement 3rd Party Plugins from Adnetworks ourself. Thats a pitty.

We cant offer Android Users native Widgets on the Mainscreen to keep them eyecatching and updated with our Apps (that would keep Users and give a really extra bonsu). We cant even implement the native Cloud Features from iOS/Android so users dont have to backup with a 3rd party app, so we have to live with the Complains that the loose all their data while switching devices.

Now after YEARS. we ‘may’ get the Mac/Windows Apps. All that should have been priorized earlier… and if not earlier than from now.

Corona should make things EASY… and Profitable and EndUser Friendly. 

• Easy; LUA as it is (not Java or C#) and the Pro System to click and get Apps for several Platforms.

• Profitable:  To have ACTUAL Adnetworks with a Variety of Plugins (that makes a Competition useful for the Devs)

• End user Friendly:  Cloud Support, Android Widgets, Fingerprint Support (a great thing to let User login in one Business App)

That would really push the Apps. Not because we tell our Users

“Hey, we have 25 2D Features and other Gfx Effects, but sorry to say, NO Cloud Support, NO Android Widgets, NO FingerPrint … NO NO)”

Than corona would really be the APP for Every serious Developer, not just Kids who play around.

So we have to think about Enterprise, or if we switch to another Framework.

I really hope this Post is not Vain. Im open for a real Discussion about as a valued “PARTNER” … but please no standart answers, like

we have no Ressources etc. A Discussion why for example the xth GFX Feature is more important than "Ad SDK Updates, Cloud Support, Android Widgets etc… "

Thanks

Chris