Android 101, Developing For Android, Think Like a Web Designer

Android UI Development http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

I read a great article today on Android Developer blog, "Thinking like a web designer" by Roman Nunik and others. It is one of the beset Android or otherwise developer article I read in a while.
Basically honing your familiarity with web UI development, specially the new HTML5 techniques can take you a long way in Android UI development.
We actually do our initial development and layouts using HTML5, aka web app route and then proceed to the actual app development.
It makes a great sense as we develop our Android apps for others (vertical markets) and it is easier to make changes that get requested along during the design phase.

"Web developers have a number of different tools for frontend layout and styling at their disposal, and there are analogues for almost all of these in the world of Android UI engineering. If you’re wondering about analogues to other web- or CSS-isms, start a conversation out there in the Android community; you’ll find you’re not alone"

But the article goes very deep into Android UI development and I suggest you follow the link below save the article on to your Android Tablet, to have it near when you need it, like I did.

Android Developers Blog: Thinking Like a Web Designer

New Honeycomb Release Will Bring A New Mode for Apps on Large Screens

Android Development http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
Android developer blog just published that an upcoming update fro honeycomb will bring a new screen compatibility mode to make few apps that does not behave properly on larger screen tablets.
We are just getting into Honeycomb development and hope to learn more about issues like this because one of our apps did not scale well on the larger screen (The app itself was not done properly in the first place, but we are on the path to make better apps.). According the article;

Beginning with the upcoming release, any app that does not target Android 3.0 (set either android:minSdkVersion or android:targetSdkVersion to “11” or higher) or does not explicitly set android:xlargeScreens="true" in the element will include a button in the system bar that, when touched, allows users to select between two viewing modes on large-screen devices

But not all need the compatibility mode, like apps that were designed for Android 3.0 and declare the either android:minSdkVersion or android:targetSdkVersion with a value of “11” or greater. These will scale well on larger and xtra larger screens. Like my Asus EEE Pad Transformer.

Android Developers Blog: New Mode for Apps on Large Screens

Android At Marker Faire!

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
I almost forgot about this post on Android developers blog. Last weekend was the Maker Faire, and Google was very visible.

Of all the nifty things, ADB, Android Developer Blog noted the following information;

Bits and Pieces from Googlers at the Faire

Most of these are 20%-project output of the new open-source project called Easy Peripheral Controller..

Project Tricorder: Using the ADK and Android to build a platform to support making education about data collection and scientific process more interesting.

Disco Droid: Modified a bugdroid with servos and the ADK to show off some Android dance moves.

Music Beta, by Google: Android + ADK + cool box with lights for a Music Beta demo.

Optical Networking: Optical network port connected to the ADK.

Interactive Game: Uses ultrasonic sensors and ADK to control an Android game.

Robot Arm: Phone controlling robot arm for kids to play with.

Bugdroids: Balancing Bugdroids running around streaming music from an Android phone.

The Boards

We gave away an ADK hardware dev kit sample to several hundred people at Google I/O, with the idea of showing manufacturers what kind of thing might be useful. This seems to have worked better than we’d expected; we know of no less than seven makers working on Android Accessory Development Kits. Most of these are still in “Coming Soon” mode, but you’ll probably be able to get your hands on some at the Faire.

1. RT Technology's board is pretty much identical to the kit we handed out at I/O.
2. SparkFun has one in the works, coming soon.
3. Also, SparkFun’s existing IOIO product will be getting ADK-compatible firmware.
4. Arduino themselves also have an ADK bun in the oven.
5. Seeedstudio’s Seeeeduino Main Board.
6. 3D Robotics’ PhoneDrone Board.
7. Microchip’s Accessory Development Starter Kit.

It looks like some serious accessorized fun is in store!

This is going to be fun!