When Google announced the Android Design website aimed at helping developers feel more at home with Holo, the theme used throughout Android 4.0, Matias Duarte made it clear that Android development was headed into the next phase. Google is looking to create a more cohesive experience when it comes to developing for Android for [...]]]>

When Google announced the Android Design website aimed at helping developers feel more at home with Holo, the theme used throughout Android 4.0, Matias Duarte made it clear that Android development was headed into the next phase. Google is looking to create a more cohesive experience when it comes to developing for Android for both manufacturers and third-party app developers alike.

One way Google is looking to do that is with a deep, interconnected community where developers can network and lend each other a helping hand. Today, Google announced that they’ll be using their own Google+ to bolster that community, starting with an official profile page for the Android Developers website.

Google will use the Android Developers Google+ page for “development tips, discussing updates to the SDK and developer tools, highlighting new Android training classes, and posting video and pics from Android developer events around the world.”

Google will also use the page for Google+ hangouts, scheduled to take place at 2pm Pacific Time every Wednesday. More hangouts will be scheduled at different times once things progress, but for now you can watch the hangouts after they’ve been uploaded on YouTube if you can’t watch live.

The Android Developers Google+ profile makes a nice addition to Google’s blossoming developer community. Along with the Design guide and Android training program, developers have a number of places to turn for advice on any problems they face.

Airbnb is one of the most original, creative travel services online today. By serving as a middle man for those travelling and those looking to host travelers, Airbnb has created the most in-depth collection of unique places to stay from all over the world. Today, the absolutely gorgeous Airbnb app is finally available on Android, [...]]]>

Airbnb is one of the most original, creative travel services online today. By serving as a middle man for those travelling and those looking to host travelers, Airbnb has created the most in-depth collection of unique places to stay from all over the world. Today, the absolutely gorgeous Airbnb app is finally available on Android, bringing their entire portfolio of one-of-a-kind retreats right to your mobile device.

Airbnb is anything but your typical hotel reservation app. Anyone with an interesting place to stay, whether it’s a loft in Austin, a windmill in Greece or a shoe shaped bed and breakfast in New Zealand, can list their residence on Airbnb. Users of the service can then search or browse through listings hosted by Airbnb and book them securely right from the Android app.

You can browse by Airbnb’s most popular listings, search for a town to get an idea of what’s available in an area or take a look at some of Airbnb’s collections like “Trees and ZZZ’s” (featuring tree houses for rent), and “Planes, Trains & Automobiles” (just in case you want to stay in a 1950′s Bristol Freighter for a weekend).

Listings on Airbnb are comprehensive and feature a map of where the residence is located, as well as property details like the room type, bed type, number of people allowed and minimum stay. You can also find contact information for the host and user reviews.

Of all the Android apps to come out in a long, long time, Airbnb is my favorite. Not only does it look fantastic, it’s a great way to use a truly original service. To download Airbnb for Android, simply use our handy download widget below.

Airbnb Airbnb, Inc. MARKET QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Back in late December, Android Developer Andrew Neal revealed some of the new features coming to the CyanogenMod 9 music app that had control freaks everywhere dying for a taste. While the default music app in Android 4.0 isn’t terrible, it does lack much in the way of customization and control. Andrew Neal’s new [...]]]>

Back in late December, Android Developer Andrew Neal revealed some of the new features coming to the CyanogenMod 9 music app that had control freaks everywhere dying for a taste. While the default music app in Android 4.0 isn’t terrible, it does lack much in the way of customization and control. Andrew Neal’s new CyanogenMod music app aims to fix that. Finally, last night, Neal took to his site Seeing Pixels and released an early 1.0 build of the music app for Android 4.0 devices.

At first glance, the CyanogenMod 9 music app (it just appears as Music with a blue icon on your Android device) isn’t all that different from the default music player. The default theme is slightly varied from what comes stock with Ice Cream Sandwich, but you might not even notice if you weren’t looking. The total overhaul comes from the setting menu.

There’s a ton of options and setting under the customization menu option, but that’s only the beginning. There’s some in-depth audio options including a full equalizer with bass boost, shake and flip gesture support and a theme chooser. The music theme template for the app was also released yesterday, along with a Google Music theme. The default theme that comes with the app looks much more native on Android 4.0 than Google Music, but options are what this app is all about.

As much as I like the CyanogenMod 9 music app, I need Google Music. All my music is on Google Music now. And the CyanogenMod 9 music app lacks Google Music support. Because of this, it could never become my go-to music app for Android. I will keep it installed for anything local, but that won’t be much.

To try out the new music app for CyanogenMod 9, head on over to Seeing Pixels now. Be sure to let us know how you like it.

Nuance has a long history of working with high-quality voice recognition and input technology for mobile devices. Not only is Nuance the backbone of services like Apple’s widely praised Siri, they also provide their own products. Dragon Go! is just one of those products, and today it’s finally available for free on the Android Market.

While Microsoft’s marketshare with Windows Phone is terrible at best, the same can’t be said for video game consoles. With almost one million consoles sold the week of Black Friday 2011, Xbox is king when it comes to interactive living room entertainment. Much as it’s done with Office in the past, Microsoft realizes that there’s [...]]]>

While Microsoft’s marketshare with Windows Phone is terrible at best, the same can’t be said for video game consoles. With almost one million consoles sold the week of Black Friday 2011, Xbox is king when it comes to interactive living room entertainment. Much as it’s done with Office in the past, Microsoft realizes that there’s a place for Xbox and the services associated with the console outside of its own ecosystem. A recent job posting with Microsoft reveals the company’s ambitions to expand beyond their own products.

Back in early December, Microsoft released an Xbox companion app for iOS. The app allows iOS users to manage all the social aspects of Xbox Live right from the iDevice of their choosing. Of course, the Windows Phone features a much more in-depth experience, but the fact that Microsoft is developing for other platforms is a good sign that their head is in the right place.

According to a job posting from Microsoft, the company is now looking to “to bring the latest and greatest gaming and entertainment experience to mobile platforms including Windows Phone, iOS and other mobile platforms.” Under the qualifications for the posting, Android development experience is listed as a “big plus.”

No specifics were mentioned as to what Microsoft plans to release for Android, but location based gaming and social networking were listed as just two of the “interesting user scenarios” new hires would be working with.

As an Xbox user myself, I can’t wait to see what Microsoft has in store. They’ve done some amazing things with Kinect lately, it would be nice to see some innovative Xbox powered gaming brought to Android.

Today’s news that the Android Market is now home to over 400,000 apps isn’t good for everyone. While consumers enjoy a wide variety of apps in just about every category imaginable, developers are stuck with the headache of trying to get their app noticed. Google has recognized some of the problems associated with app [...]]]>

Today’s news that the Android Market is now home to over 400,000 apps isn’t good for everyone. While consumers enjoy a wide variety of apps in just about every category imaginable, developers are stuck with the headache of trying to get their app noticed. Google has recognized some of the problems associated with app discovery in the Android Market, and is continually working on a system of sorting and promoting apps that deem worthy of a moment in the spotlight. But does Google’s system of app promotion really work? According to the developers behind the fitness app RunKeeper, it does indeed. Being promoted by the Android Market has given them a significant boost.

In a post on the RunKeeper blog, it was revealed just what kind of effect getting your app promoted can have on downloads and Android Market rankings. Since being featured as a promoted app in the health and fitness category of the Android Market on New Year’s Eve, RunKeeper has seen a 637% increase in average daily downloads. In just three days, RunKeeper has vaulted to the number three app in the health and fitness category, and 288 in the Market overall.

So just how does one go about landing a spot in the featured section of the Android Market? Google Product Manager for the Android Market Fernando Delgado revealed that Google has a team of “editors and category managers” that are constantly looking at apps in the Android Market, and seeking out which ones deserve to be featured. “If an app is determined to have high potential, it is thoroughly reviewed to make sure it meets the high bar for being featured,” said Delgado.

If an app is determined to have high potential, it is thoroughly reviewed to make sure it meets the high bar for being featured.Fernando DelgadoGoogle Product Manager for the Android Market

When it comes down to it, there’s only one sure-fire way to make sure your app receives the attention every developer desires. Always work on making your app the best it can be. Be innovative and creative, and strive to keep your customers happy. If you maintain a good product, with a little bit of luck you just might find your app in the featured section of the Android Market. And if that happens, well, just know you’re in for a wild ride.

RunKeeper FitnessKeeper, Inc. MARKET QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Google has just announced an “incremental” update to Ice Cream Sandwich that will now serve as the base version of the OS. From this point forward, manufacturers looking to update their handsets to ICS will be doing so with Android 4.0.3. According to the Android Developers blog, 4.0.3 will be rolling out to production phones [...]]]>

Google has just announced an “incremental” update to Ice Cream Sandwich that will now serve as the base version of the OS. From this point forward, manufacturers looking to update their handsets to ICS will be doing so with Android 4.0.3. According to the Android Developers blog, 4.0.3 will be rolling out to production phones and tablets “in the weeks ahead.” While this is a good sign that manufacturers are just about ready to start rolling out updates, not all developers are ready for the jump.

The update to 4.0.3 isn’t exactly earth shattering compared to any other version of Android 4.0.x. There’s plenty of optimizations packed inside, as well as some big fixes, Bluetooth enhancements and graphic improvements. There’s also some new APIs for developers to play with that pertain to the camera, calendar and more. As badly as I’d like to see these changes brought to a device near me, there’s something else that needs to happen first. Developers need to make sure they update their apps to work with Ice Cream Sandwich.

Android 4 may have a relatively small user-base compared to previous builds, but that doesn’t mean app developers should postpone updating their apps until more people are using Ice Cream Sandwich. Of course some developers are ready for the update, but support issues for popular apps are more rampant then you think. We reached out to the followers of the Android and Me Twitter account to see what kinds of apps you’ve been having with trouble with, and which ones are working fine, on your shiny, new Galaxy Nexus.

• Netflix: Netflix really needs no introduction, and fortunately, the app has been updated to work on ICS. Breathe easy streamers.
• Dolphin Browser: Easily the most popular alternative browser for Android, ICS users are having trouble using Dolphin Browser.
• OnLive: If you happen to use OnLive to get your gaming fix, you’re in luck. OnLive works on the Galaxy Nexus.
• Facebook: Some users are reporting problems with Facebook. Considering it’s the most popular Android app on the Market, Zuck might want to get on that.
• Light Flow: Light Flow gives users an added level of control over the LED notification light on their device. While most are saying it does indeed work on the Galaxy Nexus, there are some bugs that need to be smoothed out.
• GTA 3: Probably one of the most popular games on Android at the moment, some users are reporting problems with the newly released game.
• Swype: This is a big one. Swype has officially announced that their innovative replacement keyboard is not ready for ICS.
• Adobe Flash: Adobe promised they’d update the abandoned Flash player to work with Ice Cream Sandwich, and sure enough, it was.

This is just a short list of the apps that do and don’t work with Ice Cream Sandwich and the Galaxy Nexus, so feel free to share any issues you’re having in the comments below. And developers, your users are waiting.

The Android Developers website has always played host to a great wealth of knowledge on developing apps for Android. It’s where you go to download the SDK, find announcements on development and publish apps, among other things. Starting today, the Android Developers website will also become a training ground for developers in the making.

Announced [...]]]>

The Android Developers website has always played host to a great wealth of knowledge on developing apps for Android. It’s where you go to download the SDK, find announcements on development and publish apps, among other things. Starting today, the Android Developers website will also become a training ground for developers in the making.

Announced by Reto Meier, Android Developer Relations Tech Lead, Android Training is a collection of free virtual classes aimed at helping developers with a wide variety of problems and questions. Classes range from Designing for Multiple Screens to Monetizing Your App, with a little bit of everything in between.

Meier has promised that more from Android Training is on the way, but for now, there’s more than enough to keep even the seasoned developer occupied for awhile. To see all the different classes Android Training offers, just head to the Android Developers website now.

During the Le Web technology conference held recently in Paris, France, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt took to the stage to lay out some predictions on how developers will favor Android over iOS before 2012 is finished. He said that within six month’s time, developers will be releasing apps for Android before iOS due to the sheer volume [...]]]>

During the Le Web technology conference held recently in Paris, France, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt took to the stage to lay out some predictions on how developers will favor Android over iOS before 2012 is finished. He said that within six month’s time, developers will be releasing apps for Android before iOS due to the sheer volume of Android devices out there. Flurry sees it differently.

Flurry is a mobile app analytics firm that has their hands on data from just about every popular smartphone OS on the market. So far, over 55,000 companies have used Flurry Analytics across more than 135,000 applications. Developers use Flurry’s analytical data before apps are initially shipped (for a number of reasons), so the company has a good idea of what platforms developers are going to be supporting out of the gate.

Flurry has collected the data from 55,000 apps that were started in 2011 and organized which platform they were developed for by quarter. While Android developer support has steadily declined (save for a small 2% uptick in Q4) throughout the year, iOS development has exploded. In Q4 2011, 73% of developers using Flurry were making apps for iOS first.

Of course this data comes from developers using Flurry, not all apps in general. Still, Flurry Analytics “powers approximately 25% of all apps downloaded from the App Store and Android Market combined.” There’s good reason to believe that Flurry’s data is an accurate description of the market. Especially once you factor in money.

Schmidt’s prediction that developers will support Android first is related to how many Android devices are out there. Not how much money apps are making. By taking a look at in-app purchases in some top apps across Android and iOS, you can see just how much more money iOS users are putting into their apps. According to Flurry, iOS developers make around three to four times as much money with iOS apps. On average, “for every $1.00 generated on iOS, the same app will generate $0.24 on Android.”

Google is certainly headed in the right direction with the Android Market, but it’s going to take a lot more than sheer volume to secure immediate developer support. Until the money is on Android’s side, iOS is going to stay the go-to platform.

App reviews have always been some what of a sore spot for developers and users alike. Reviews are an essential tool in deciding if an app is worth purchasing or not. But without a whole lot of rules behind them, it can be a pain narrowing down relevant reviews to see who had real problems [...]]]>

App reviews have always been some what of a sore spot for developers and users alike. Reviews are an essential tool in deciding if an app is worth purchasing or not. But without a whole lot of rules behind them, it can be a pain narrowing down relevant reviews to see who had real problems on what devices, or who was just blowing off some steam. Thanks the the Android Market’s new advanced app review filtering system, finding trustworthy reviews just got a whole lot easier.

By clicking on an app in the web-based Android Market (sorting isn’t available in the mobile app yet), and then clicking on the “user reviews” tab, you can now sort app reviews in a number of different ways.

Version number is the first option on in the list, allowing you to look at reviews for all versions of the app, or just the latest version. Sorting by version is helpful for seeing if a new version got rid of any nasty bugs stopping you from purchasing.

Next up is devices. By using the device filter, you can see reviews from people using your device. Or any device registered to your account. Unfortunately, you can’t just look at reviews for any Android device out there, but sorting reviews by your phone or tablet model is certainly helpful for narrowing down any compatibility errors.

Finally, the last feature in the new filtering options is the ability to organize reviews by helpfulness. App reviews can be sorted by the date posted, the rating and helpfulness.

These three sorting features along with in-depth review details (reviews say the device and app version the review is tied to) and the option to sort reviews by their star rating and are going to be a huge help in finding reliable information on an app.