Developing for Android

I will be providing some information here for anyone who would like to get started with developing Android applications. I will mostly post simple examples, sometimes with screen shots, and I assume that you already have some background in 1 or 2 programming languages such as Java and have at least 1 year of experience developing applications.

It would be helpful to also understand some of the principles that Android developers need in order to understand how Android works. I recommend that you start with the Android developers site. I will also have a running list of Android developer links on my development page that you are welcome to use.

There are many resources online to help you get started. I plan to have real world examples listed here and my hope is that we can learn a lot in the process.

Android In The News

There has been a lot of big news recently regarding Android. First, it was rumored that Google's Nexus line of devices would be gone sometime in 2015. Then, yesterday it was confirmed by Google that it had sold some of its Motorola property to Lenovo. These two are very interesting bits of news even if the rumors regarding the Nexus line turn out to be false.

I can understand the sale of Motorola to Lenovo since Google really isn't a hardware company and for the fact that Motorola was having trouble making a profit. It was a good move really for Google, business wise. I think Lenovo has the structure and patience to really get Motorola turned around and I can't wait to see what products they turn out soon.

The rumors about the Nexus line going away really caught my attention. I have owned three Nexus devices and I plan to grab another later this year and I have come to enjoy them very much. They are very affordable, they don't have any bloatware installed and they are very capable phones compared to much more expensive android phones. Again, since Google isn't a hardware company and since there are now Google Play Edition devices from Samsung, HTC, LG, and Sony, I would understand Google's decision if the rumors turn out to be true. The main downsides here would be price since many of the Google Play Edition devices are in the $500 - $600 range. I will be watching this closely and hopefully the Nexus line continues to push the envelope in terms of price and quality software that Google has provided for many more years to come.