Posts tagged developer
AdSense for Mobile Success Story: APNDroid
Jul 29th
Martin Adamek, one of the developers of APNDroid, recently received an email from Google AdSense for Mobile Applications, letting him know that they’d made some subtle UI changes to the ads. To enhance user experience, the ads now featured a button on the right instead of the entire text being clickable. Below you see APNDroid with the older implementation (left) and the new Ads (right).
The expectation was that this might decrease click-through rates. Instead, Martin has seen his rates double since the change, which translates to more revenue from the ads for him as well. He doesn’t give specific numbers on CTR or revenue but does mention “a little secret.” While it’s only been eight days since the change, Martin concludes that the button/ad design change is driving the CTR increase. This is of course good news to mobile developers.
NOTE: AdSense for Mobile Success Story: APNDroid originally appeared on AndroidGuys.
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“Sloof Lirpa” Source Code Released
Apr 3rd
On April Fool’s Day we released an app on the Android Market that claimed to be a World War 2 First Person Shooter which ended up actually being a humorous self-destruct button. While it was a dirty mean trick we have released the source code of our April Fool’s Day app after we got questions from aspiring developers asking if they could see the inner workings of such a simple app. It is not a tutorial but rather a chance for new developers to see some important features of Android in action. The source code is available in our Downloads section on the AndroidGuys Projects Website in the form of a zip file. While the app has now been taken off the Android Market now seeing as April Fool’s is now over, it is still available for download as in our Downloads section. The key features that developers can look out for in the well-commented code are as follows:
- Use of SoundFX using the Android SoundPool Class.
- Use of threads to make a timer.
- Simple Animation using XML animation files.
- Use of a device’s Vibrator
- and many other simple things such as intent, OnClickListener interfaces, and runnables.
As I am still a fairly new developer, some of the code you see may not be “best-practice”, but in the end I always come out with an app that works exactly as I had originally imagined. I hope the source code is helpful to many new and aspiring developers as my personal source of education has primarily been from examining other developers code.
Thanks and Happy Coding!
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Rumours Say Canada May Have Paid Apps Soon
Feb 26th
Android is nothing new in Canada and while we don’t have a very large selection of different handsets, the average person would be able to tell you what it is. We may be quite excited about Android and it’s edgy approach to the mobile scene, but now we want more!
Most people have been content with free apps, but for those who have explored the reaches of Android will know that there is a whole other wonderful world of paid apps available to many others. Rumors have come from the Montreal Gazette and we have pulled conclusions that we could possibly see paid apps in the Canadian Android Market as soon as next week! Google Canada Spokesperson Wendy Rozeluk is quoted as saying,
“There are many factors that come into play to make sure the selling and purchasing processes run smoothly. It takes time to bring support to more countries, which is something we are working hard to do”.
The latter is quite true as mistakes could cost Android big, being it is technically the new guy on campus. Also, the Montreal Gazette goes on to say, “She said Google is working on the problem and hopes to make an announcement next week.”
This would have many good outcomes including developer profits and willingness to develop for Android. In the end we have to remember that the market is a business and business thrives with more customers! I’m excited are you?
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FixIt!: Users
Jan 9th
There are 4 main elements that make a successful platform: 1. great evolutionary hardware, 2. opened operative system, 3. lots of smart developers and finally 4. an enthusiastic bunch of users. If only one of these 4 elements is missing, the platform may be bound to fail over time. For the purpose of this piece, I will ignore the “phone” aspect of Android to remove the operators from the equation, we will consider Android devices as (mobile) computers rather than phones.- Illegal copies of apps… No Go!
With all the free apps available and the modest cost of most paid apps, there are no reasons for users to go on the dark side and download illegal copies. It should also be pointed out that it could be very risky to install APKs not coming from any official apps store. Not paying for your apps will do lots of damage for the developer community and to Android.
- Comments about apps in the Market
Again, it is coming down to the relationship between users and developers, if an app you have installed is not working or do not perform as you were expecting, it is nicer and more helpful to give feedback that will help the developer (and other users). You should also feel free to contact the developer directly, see “Send email to developer” on the Market page of each app. You will find that often they are eager to help, the lack of approval process make it also easy for them to quickly make an update available to all. For instance, if you are lucky to own a device just released on which the developer has not test the app yet, you could help and do the testing to make sure bugs are corrected.
- Be ready to preach for Android
What I mean by “be ready” is to not to only answer “yes” when you are asked if what you hold is a “Google Phone” but, if you can, explain which device you have and what you can do with it. Take the time to share your enthusiasm. Have some “wow!” apps installed on your device just in case you need to make a demo. For example: Aldiko, Layar, Google Sky Map, Shazam to name only few. You should also have few good games even if you are not a player yourself. The reason behind this is the following: a person is more likely to believe a user rather than advertising and news, if more people come to Android, we will get more devices, more apps and the system will continue to evolve.
- Accept and debate critics of Android
David Pogue’s review of the Nexus One, which was honest and not biased as some might have feared, received very bad comments from Android fans that leads to this historical post about the “Angry Android Army”. This is sad and would be a follow up of the preaching, as an Android user you should be aware of the faults of your phone, explain why you can live with it or that there are solutions. For instance on the number of apps, yes we don’t have as many apps as the iPhone but still you can cover all the “There’s an app for that” needs. Also, more and more you will find the same app developed for the iPhone and Android.
To conclude… as users what we should cherish our developers more than the devices and the operating system as they are the engine that will keep Android on the track to its success. We should also not be elitist and spread the word to bring more users to Android, it can only help us.
As always, feel free to comment and share your point of view.
For example, what apps are great for a demo or have you had any bad relationship with Android developers?
“Bebbled” Game Review + Developer Interview
Jan 8th
Bebbled, a game that has been around in the Android Market for FREE since October, recently appeared in the Featured App’s section. Due to its increasing popularity it is only proper that AndroidGuys take a look and have their say, and a lot of good we have to say.
After being completely sucked into the game for the past two weeks of Christmas I can honestly say its greatest feature is how addictive it is. Many nights I sat up in bed while the wife would be carefully watching and every time I couldn’t beat a level she’d say, “Hand it over here, I got this, how do you not get it?” The object of this game is similar to those who are familiar with the old Palm game Bubble Breaker; an addictive mobile game in its utter simplicity. You have a screen full of colored balls in rows and columns which can be tapped on to create sections of same coloured balls. The second time you click on that section the balls “break” and give you points depending on how many balls were broken at once. The developer takes the classic ball breaker game and adds their own spin on it including challenges, field/phone rotation, and even a special XMAS Edition.
The game starts off with music that is very similar to a good old Sousa march. The game uses levels to progress with each level requiring the player to beat the level in a certain way. This is what makes the game addictive because the challenges make you feel like you have something to prove. What also takes advantage of the Android Platform and Hardware is the inclusion of “field rotation”. Field rotation is when you rotate the phone to make groups of bebbles that were not available in the orientation the phone was in previously. The performance of the game is top notch and runs smoothly even on the slowest Android phones. The only thing that could make this game any better is online play. Guess what? It does! The online play is an “I’m better than you are” type game. You compete against other player’s scores to see if you can beat what they got on a particular level. Online play includes rankings and online chat as well. Visually the game gives a fun and professional look that is rarely seen in a lot of Android apps and games. I give the game two thumbs up and recommend it to those that are looking for their next addictive Android game to kill time.
I also had the chance to speak with the developer Nikolay Ananiev who answered some key questions that give us some insight into the mind of an Android developer. His answers show us why they are better than the developers of other platforms and why Android is rising to the top.
What made you decide to make such a well designed game free?
Currently, I can’t sell in the Android Market, because Google Checkout does not support my country (Bulgaria). Of course, I knew that before even started to develop Bebbled, but couldn’t resist to stay away from Android. I think that in 2010 the Android Market is going to become a very important place for mobile developers. I wanted to be part of this huge success and decided to create a high quality game and release it for free. Probably, my future products will also be free, using some kind of cross-promotion to make them popular.
What are some of your other Android projects, if any?
Bebbled is my first real Android product. At the moment, I’m working full time on developing Bebbled 2. Bebbled 2 will feature 2 additional game modes, real-time multiplayer of up to 4 players on a single board – internet games and local ones over Bluetooth (if you have Android 2.0+), new single player campaigns, special bonus types, and many small improvements.
I also have an idea for a completely new casual game, but I have to build a prototype first to see if it’s actually fun to play. The good thing about the Android Market is that you can release your prototype for serveral days without any approval process and see if the users like it.
What’s your story/background with Android?
I have been developing for Android since May 2009. I got excited about the platform, because it is very different from Symbian and iPhone OS. Symbian is a very old OS with tons of legacy code behind it and the iPhone OS is compiled out of many different Mac OSX libraries, which feels like clutter. Android, on the other hand, felt just right – an OS created for mobile devices from the ground up without any restriction and making use of a decent programming language. I saw the potential and decided to dive in. As for the future, I think 2010 is going to be Android’s year and the Android Market will see a huge growth. This will make it harder and harder for single developers and small companies to penetrate. My strategy for the new year is to create a strong brand by producing quality software and releasing most of it for free, so it can compete with the new developers and companies that will enter the market.
You can find out more about Bebbled at <http://bebbled.com/>.
Written By: @MatthewPatience
Android Book Review: Android Wireless Application Development
Jan 7th
While in Indigo Book Store the other day I took a stroll through the Wireless Application Development for Dummies section. Surprisingly this is a growing section with many books on all of the different programming langauges available.
I saw books on Windows Mobile, iPhone, and even basic Java. “Where is all of the Android Developer books?” I said to the Associate. He replies, “Umm, that’s the Google one right?” “Umm, YES!” He asks me to reach to the back of the shelf and see what’s there. What do I pull out? “Android: Wireless Application Development” by Shane Conder and Lauren Darcey. I was overcome with relief that it exists, as I’ve seen many Android books available online and was not sure they had penetrated the retail stores yet. I purchased it without question and thought not only will this be a great reference, but when was the last time Android Guys did a Book Review?
In the beginning…
Right on the front cover is the Great Wall of China along with a description and short history of it on the inside cover. Obviously the authors must be drawing some conclusion about Android. We can speculate on this and never truly know what they meant by this but my personal opinion is that it is a metaphor for Android. The Great Wall of China was a giant undertaking built by not only a few but by many branches of the Chinese Military. Android is the same in that it was created by not only Google but by all entities within the Open Handset Alliance and more still by the developers who create the applications that support the platform and allow it to grow.
I was assured even more about my $60 CAD purchase due to a dedication to “Bit, Nibble, Stack, Queue, Heap, and Null” and references within the Acknowledgments section to Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, two of the best comedians of the decade. The book’s audience is three groups of people; Software Developers, Quality Assurance Personnel, and Project Managers. When I said “In the beginning…” I was not joking as the book starts off with the history of mobile phones, putting us back in time to the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. While this is humourous and a little boring, at the same time it inspires and assures the reader about the potential of the Android Platform.
Samples, Examples, and Pictures OH MY!
The book would double as a great children’s book were it not due to the advanced conventions and concepts in the Java language. The book includes sample code in the book and also a CD that has a ton of examples from Networking to 3D Graphics. Quite Impressive. Pictures are included in some chapters to give context to beginning developers or even just to inspire those people who are more advanced.
What’s new in Android 1.5?
While this is still a helpful tool the book is out of date only5-6 months after being published. What I am referring to is informational boxes included every once in a while in the book that outline changes from 1.1 to 1.5. I attempted to find the publishing date but found what appears to be an error in the printing date: August 2010. Sorry? I actually checked the date on my calender to ensure I wasn’t living in the past. Either the future of Android is that we will all be reverting back to “cupcake” 1.5, or the authors are really excited for the future of Android.
Section VI: Deploying Your Android Application to the World
Chapter 6 is what every code-monkey needs because the business side is really the tough part. Once you have your project it is time to show the world. In their hands is your respect, reputation, and self-respect. So this book is there to guide in terms of the development process, marketing, presentation, selling, and making a bulletproof application. One of my favourite sections in this chapter is the Best Practices where it has almost copied verbatim the Don’ts of Application Development on Android. This is a must read before developing because “open platform” does not mean you can do whatever you like. With that said the book really explores the included API’s to their fullest extent and shows you some really cool possibilities.
Only the beginning…
After reading this book you will be well on your way to Android Application development. Readers must keep in mind that this book is meant to be used together with the reference documentation provided by Google and any other sources available out there. I suggest this book as a secondary step in the Android learning curve. The first step being learning the Java langauge, terminology, and conventions (I recommend Java for Dummies, no joke). I give the book a triple thumbs up because it really adds to the Android Development process. Reading through some of Google’s documentation can prove to be difficult at times, this book clarifies and simplifies it for even beginners.
http://www.amazon.com/Android-Wireless-Application-Development-Conder/dp/0321627091
Trust me when I say it’s worth the $44.99 US/$53.99 CAN, because searching Google or posting on forums can be a real time-waster. (Comes with a CD-ROM!)
Interested in my day-to-day life, or want to know my latest Android project? Twitter: @MatthewPatience
Dev Tools: Customizing ExpandableListView
Dec 21st
I’m using ExpandableListView in my app and one of the complaints I got from users was that when the list item is expanded it’s hard to visually distinguish where the child item ends and next group item begins. Since that is out-of-the-box behavior I decided to modify it to something more user-friendly. My task seems easy enough – all I wanted to do was to change child list item background to lighter shade of grey hence creating visual separation between the parent (group) item and collapsible child list. However, how often is the case with Android doing that turned out to be not so easy so I would like to share my experience.
I use two layouts: item_group.xml and item_child.xml to inflate the list items in ExpandableListView#getGroupView and ExpandableListView#getChildView. So my initial plan was to simply set the top level LinearLayout’s background in item_child.xml to the color I wanted. It worked but with unpleasant side effect: all my highlighting was gone. The child item will not change color on press or on selected so I had to work with selectors to create background drawable that would satisfy my need. Here I will outline the steps:
- Create
list_background.xmlfile in/res/drawable. You can name that file something else - Set background of your child item layout to the drawable above
android:background="@drawable/list_background"
Here’s complete code for list_background.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<selector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
<item android:state_pressed="true" android:state_enabled="true"
android:drawable="@drawable/list_highlight_active" />
<item android:state_enabled="true" android:state_selected="true"
android:state_window_focused="true"
android:drawable="@drawable/list_highlight_inactive" />
<item android:state_enabled="true" android:state_window_focused="true"
android:drawable="@color/item_body" />
<item android:drawable="@color/item_body" />
</selector>
Since I’m using SDK 1.5 I wasn’t able to use built-in Android styles so I had to copy list_highlight_active.xml and list_highlight_inactive.xml from /android-sdk-windows-1.6_r1/platforms/android-1.5/data/res/drawable to the drawable directory of my project. @color/item_body is just a shade of gray
Happy styling! Let me know if this worked for you
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