Android

Apple sues HTC

If Google is not evil, then the evil must be Apple.

And I’m quite sure it is.

An Android Book about UI design

Somethink I really wish it will be released is a book teaching how to design beautiful and user-friendly interfaces for Android. The official docs offer good guidelines, but they are only a good starting point.

Android Tip — Go Fullscreen

In your applications and games, you often have to go fullscreen. Actually, different kinds of fullscreen exist. You may need to remove the title bar only or to get a real fullscreen.

If you want to remove the title bar, but not the Android notifications bar, simply modify your manifest under the activity tag of your XML:


android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen"


If you need a real fullscreen, then you have to use this code in your Activity class:


requestWindowFeature(Window.FEATURE_NO_TITLE);
getWindow().setFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN,
WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_FULLSCREEN);

Catch USSD responses

Android APIs lack a system to grab the response of USSD codes. Don’t you think this is a bad issue? Without it it’s impossible to make, for example, a program that captures the USSD response for a credit request to the operator, forcing a developer to use work-arounds for the same goal, like web requests. What do you think?

Mobile World Congress 2010 — 60.000 Android terminals sold each day

According to Eric Schmidt, Google CEO, every day in the world 60.000 Android powered phones are sold. This is really great news. Come on, my fellows… let’s fill this Android Market with our wonderful applications and games.

Rokon Game Framework

Android really needs a solid framework. Specifically, a multimedia multipurpose framework. Something to help game developers in their hard work. Rokon Framework is an open source project that aims to that. It started with very few library functions, some months ago, and now it’s becoming something serious.

Give it a look and if you are going to try it, share your feedback!

Note for the Rokon developer: please fix your Wiki page on your site. Your tutorials have been (and they are) inaccessible for days!

Android Tip – Debug or trace messages

Who comes from Java feels pretty comfortable using System.out.println() to output some debug messages.
If you come from Actionscript you certainly use trace() for the same reason.

In Android, the better way to trace messages in the console is the Log class. If you have to output a string for testing purposes, try with:

Log.d(myStringDescription, myString);

For example:

Log.d("Message", "Hello, World!");

I’m sure you are going to be comfortable, once used to it!

Android Tip – How to generate random numbers

In every programming language, you have sometimes to generate a random integer number in a defined range.

Here is how you can do it in Android.

First, declare and initialize the generator:

Random generator = new Random();

Then, get a random number:

int n = generator.nextInt(n);

where n is the upperbound limit.

The Million Dollar App

Promote your product, website, message, application, game uploading an image to this worldwide accessible advertising space!

A single image. 1.000.000 pixels.
1 pixel = 1 dollar
.

Download from the Android Market

  • or textually search “the million dollar app
  • or download directly the APK file

FAQ

What is this?

It’s very simple: Try to make $1m (US).

Who are you?

I’m a computer engineering student who would like to get the degree with less things to worry about. Really… I’m going crazy o_O

Why should I help you?

I’m not begging for help, but I would thank you for the rest of my life. Beside that, I’m offering a real service. This application could (and it will, I’m sure) soon be the most relevant and innovative way to promote your products/apps/messages to the world.

How does it work?

What you see is a grid of 10.000 blocks (1.000.000 pixels). Each pixel is worth 1$. You buy pixels where there is enough space in the grid and … that’s it!

Can I buy a single pixel?

In a single pixel (1$) there is no enough information for anything. The minimum block you can buy is the 100×100 pixels block = 100$. The maximum depends on the place you are choosing to put your banner/image. If you are the first one to buy, you can virtually take the whole page paying 1.000.000 $ !!

What are you going to do with $1m?

I’m going to pay the rent for an apartment next to the university, books, tools and everything I need to have the right amount of tranquility for the studies. Then, I’m planning to raise up an Android software house to make good apps and games for this wonderful platform (thanks, Google). I will donate a consistent amount of money for charity causes to the people of “L’Aquila” and “Haiti”, both destroyed by an earthquake.

What else?

Nothing! Let’s fill this page and feel free to contact me for any questions.

La nuova community di sviluppatori Android italiani!

Vi dò il benvenuto alla nuova community dedicata a noi sviluppatori Android italiani. Ho voluto creare questo spazio dove riunirci perchè ad oggi, 6 Gennaio 2010, sento la mancanza di una vera community che ci riunisca e che faccia sentire la nostra voce. Io mi chiamo Marco, ho quasi 26 anni e sono un felicissimo possessore di un HTC Magic (Tim) con rom Cyanogen. Studio Ingegneria Informatica presso La Sapienza e ho da qualche tempo iniziato ad interessarmi alla programmazione per il mondo mobile.

Il mondo Android è in grandissimo fermento, lo sappiamo tutti. Proprio ieri è stato annunciato il primo vero telefono Android “made in Google”, il Nexus One. E il nostro amico robottino verde sta cominciando seriamente a far tremare le certezze di tante multinazionali che pensavano di avere il campo libero sull’argomento dei “webfonini” (perdonatemi il triste nomignolo).

Le vere sfide cominciano adesso, perchè questo mondo in grande fermento ha bisogno di applicazioni, migliaia di applicazioni e giochi per divertire e soddisfare le esigenze di un sempre crescente numero di utenti che si stanno convertendo. Sta a noi fornire loro ciò di cui hanno bisogno. E convincerli ad aver bisogno di qualcosa che ancora non esiste, se necessario :D

Allora sfoderiamo la nostra creatività e le nostre capacità, uniamo le forze e diamoci da fare. Presentiamo i nostri lavori alla community nazionale e internazionale e cerchiamo di tirarne fuori qualcosa. Ma soprattutto cerchiamo di essere attivi e di aiutarci vicendevolmente con le (innumerevoli) sfide che ogni ambiente di sviluppo (più che mai uno mobile) ci presenterà. Riempiamo questi spazi con nostri articoli, impressioni, idee per nuove applicazioni, tutorial, tips ‘n tricks e quant’altro per far progredire tutti. Chissà che la cosa non confluirà in un team di programmazione e non ci si incontrerà nella nostra nuova sede in California a lavorare tutti insieme su qualche grande progetto? :D

Ok, smetto di sognare, sebbene un pizzico di follia sia proprio quel che ci serve per riuscire nella creazione di qualcosa di nuovo!

Non mi resta che ringraziarvi per il vostro tempo e sperare di incontrarvi tutti in questa nuova community, pronti a condividere la nostra conoscenza. Buon inizio di anno e a prestissimo! 8-)

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