It has finally happened, folks. The Menu button is officially dead. The Android team at Google just announced that Android no longer requires a dedicated Menu button. Of course, that doesn’t mean that some OEMs won’t try to stick it on their devices. But for all Google cares, the dedicated Menu button is a [...]]]>

It has finally happened, folks. The Menu button is officially dead. The Android team at Google just announced that Android no longer requires a dedicated Menu button. Of course, that doesn’t mean that some OEMs won’t try to stick it on their devices. But for all Google cares, the dedicated Menu button is a thing of the past. And in just a few months, all Google-approved Android devices will launch without it.

As some of you know, this plan to kill the Menu button was set in motion more than a year ago. It all started with the release of Honeycomb, which got rid of the Menu button on tablets — and most hardware buttons for that matter. However, it was unclear at the time if the same design would carry over to phones. Then the first Nexus 3 rumors started to arrive, and one thing in particular kept popping up: “No hardware buttons.”

After the release of Ice Cream Sandwich and the Galaxy Nexus, it was quite clear that Google was trying its best to simplify the Android user experience. At the same time, Google introduced a new UI element called the Action Bar, which the company calls the “the most important structural element of an Android app.” The Action Bar — and its overflow button — replace the Menu button while providing a consistent look and experience across all Android apps. That is, if developers start using it.

That’s where today’s announcement comes is. Google is urging app developers to stop using the Menu button and adopt the Action Bar instead. The company provided some clear instructions on how to do this easily, and even reminded them about the existence of its Android Design website. There’s absolutely no doubt that Google wants all Android apps to adopt this new UI design — and fast.

Of course, there are some of you who won’t be happy about the Menu button passing away. Sadly, there’s nothing I can say to ease your pain. Google has made a crucial decision to simplify and unify the Android UI, and that means that the Menu button has to go — and take the Search button with it. As for developers, better get started on that Action Bar, pronto.

Remember App Inventor? It was one of the casualties of the Google Labs kill order that came down late last year. However the WYSIWYG app building tool got a reprieve at the last minute from MIT, who in turn received a donation from Google to help establish the MIT Center for [...]]]>

Remember App Inventor? It was one of the casualties of the Google Labs kill order that came down late last year. However the WYSIWYG app building tool got a reprieve at the last minute from MIT, who in turn received a donation from Google to help establish the MIT Center for Mobile Learning.

The MIT group reached one of their first goals late Friday with the initial release of the App Inventor source code. It’s freely available here to check out, and MIT will be occassionaly updating it to match what they are doing in-house.

Documentation is fairly sparse at the moment; the majority of their focus is on getting their large-scale public server up and running by April. But if you want to start playing now, there’s a Google group that appears fairly active already.

If you want to get into the tester group that’s working with the latest updates MIT has, you can still request access here. But don’t expect to hear anything immediately. The list is quite long, and they don’t want to overload the service.

We’ll keep tabs on the service as it gets closer to the full public release this Spring.

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

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.

The Android Market’s 10 billionth app download has been a hot topic this week. We’ve been talking about all the apps that are on sale to celebrate and which developers are reaping the rewards, but we haven’t really had a chance to take a look at how it all happened. Like what’s the [...]]]>

The Android Market’s 10 billionth app download has been a hot topic this week. We’ve been talking about all the apps that are on sale to celebrate and which developers are reaping the rewards, but we haven’t really had a chance to take a look at how it all happened. Like what’s the most popular type of app? When is the most popular time to download apps? And which country downloads the most apps anyway?

Google has released a rather good looking infographic that reveals the history of the Android Market. There’s a quite a bit of information in the image, but here’s some of the highlights:

• The most popular time to download apps is 9PM, on Sunday. Monday at 4AM is the least popular.
• Apps are downloaded from 190 countries.
• South Korea has the most downloads per capita. The US is number four.
• The most downloaded type of app is games, with 25%. Entertainment is second at 12%.

And as for some individual app highlights:

• 100 million words are translated every week in Google Translate.
• 12 billion miles have been navigated in Google Maps.
• 20,000,000,000 keystrokes have been saved by using SwiftKey.
• 4054 years have been spent playing with Talking Tom.

As you can see, these numbers are impressive to say the least. And the best part is, this is only the beginning. What’s your favorite bit of info shared?

While the Android Market is celebrating its 10 billionth download this week, another company is busy enjoying their success. Level Up Studio, the folks behind Beautiful Widgets, is proud to announce that their widget suite is the first paid app in the Android Market to be downloaded one million times.

The [...]]]>

While the Android Market is celebrating its 10 billionth download this week, another company is busy enjoying their success. Level Up Studio, the folks behind Beautiful Widgets, is proud to announce that their widget suite is the first paid app in the Android Market to be downloaded one million times.

The road hasn’t been as easy one for Level Up, but the journey was well worth it. The company started off with one developer in 2009, and has now blossomed to eight (that’s more than you think for an app development team). Some curious facts shared by the Level Up team on Beautiful Widgets: There has been 121 updates to the app so far. Beautiful Widgets is well known for its clock widget skins, and for good cause too. There’s 1109 of them available. And as far as how often those skins are downloaded? Try 1.3 million times a month.

Congratulations Level Up Studio, you deserve it. Beautiful Widgets is one of the essential must-have Android apps, and has been for quite some time now. If you still haven’t managed to buy the app, there’s no time to waste. Right now, in celebration of the Android Market’s 10 billionth download, Beautiful Widgets is only 10 cents!

Beautiful Widgets LevelUp Studio MARKET QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

iOS apps have been headed to Android in droves this past year, but there’s one app that manages to maintain its comfortable spot as an exclusive on Apple devices. Despite how badly consumers want it to cross the line. That app is the ever-popular Instagram. And thankfully, it’s exclusivity period is almost at an end.