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Android App Builder
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Implementation options for Android ads in code or layouts
When setting up Android ad requests, you can do so via the layout files or the code. Read about the advantages of each approach.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | August 20, 2012, 9:59 PM PDT
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Give your Android app users UI customization options
Not much of a UI guy? Then let your Android app users specify a color in your product. William J. Francis explains how in this nerdy proof of concept.
Posted by William J. Francis | August 14, 2012, 11:37 AM PDT
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Android summer fun: Write a screen crack prank
Android developer William J. Francis combines techniques he has shown in several previous tutorials to make a functional screen crack prank.
Posted by William J. Francis | August 9, 2012, 7:41 AM PDT | Latest comment by authorwjf
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Android signing certificates for clients
Learn why Android signing keys are important and what to consider in terms of these keys when building apps for clients.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | August 4, 2012, 11:30 PM PDT
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Spice up your Android apps with Google's vibrator service
Learn how to use Android's vibrator service to improve your app's UI and cause the device to shake and implement repeating, meaningful patterns.
Posted by William J. Francis | July 31, 2012, 6:24 PM PDT
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Android Jelly Bean makes notifications even fancier
Learn how to use Android Jelly Bean's notification builder class to create impressive notifications that support intents, images, and previews.
Posted by William J. Francis | July 25, 2012, 4:03 PM PDT
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Delight Android users with your app's design
When you're designing an Android app, Tim Mackenzie warns against just grabbing the iOS design and making a few tweaks.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | July 23, 2012, 3:40 PM PDT
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Use SQLite to create a contacts browser in Android
William J. Francis walks Android developers through a SQLite tutorial on how to implement a no-frills contacts browser.
Posted by William J. Francis | July 19, 2012, 2:54 PM PDT
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Developing enterprise social for mobile: Why the hybrid app wins
Discover three key reasons for the enterprise social tech sector to adopt a hybrid HTML5/native approach when developing on mobile.
Posted by Guest Contributor | July 16, 2012, 12:57 PM PDT
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Curated Android app markets: QA prep and possible rejection
Before you submit an Android app to a curated store, read these tips on passing the QA process and responding in a productive way if your app is rejected.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | July 12, 2012, 3:21 PM PDT
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Create a Hello World iPhone app
Learn how to implement the classic Hello World app for the iPhone -- no coding required. The tutorial also has the added bonus of supporting multiple orientations.
Posted by Todd Moore | July 11, 2012, 8:38 AM PDT | Latest comment by Paul@...
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Poll: Will you have a Windows 8 app at launch?
Justin James gives reasons why some developers are not planning to have a Windows 8 app ready at launch. Are you planning to have one at launch?
Posted by Justin James | July 6, 2012, 8:33 AM PDT
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Use Gson to work with JSON in your Android apps
In this Android tutorial, William J. Francis uses Gson to build up a standard Java entity and flatten it into JSON.
Posted by William J. Francis | July 3, 2012, 3:01 PM PDT
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iOS app development for non-programmers
Download a chapter from the book Learn GameSalad for iOS to get tips on creating an Angry Birds-like game.
Posted by Mary Weilage | July 2, 2012, 3:51 PM PDT
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Embedding HTML in your Android apps
Leverage HTML and JavaScript in your Android apps by using the web view widget. William J. Francis shows you how in this tutorial.
Posted by William J. Francis | June 26, 2012, 3:47 PM PDT | Latest comment by udbhavah
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Windows Store for Windows 8 apps overview
If Windows 8 app development may be in your future, read about Windows Store guidelines, revenue percentages, registration, and more.
Posted by Justin James | June 25, 2012, 3:32 PM PDT | Latest comment by Justin James
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Rock and roll with Android's media recorder
What does Bon Jovi have to do with Android coding? Find out in this media recorder tutorial by William J. Francis.
Posted by William J. Francis | June 20, 2012, 10:33 AM PDT
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Releasing Android apps for BlackBerry: The how and the why
Read about four ways to convert your Android app to run on BlackBerry. Also, find out what factors may affect your decision about which option to choose.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | June 19, 2012, 12:36 PM PDT
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iOS Developer Program application headaches and tips
Justin James explains the iOS Developer Program's four membership options and recounts the snags he ran into when applying for his account.
Posted by Justin James | June 14, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT | Latest comment by Justin James
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A tale of three app distribution channels
William J. Francis shares how many downloads his puzzle game app has received in Google Play, Amazon's Appstore, and the Nook App Store.
Posted by William J. Francis | June 13, 2012, 3:00 PM PDT | Latest comment by QAonCall
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Why Android Studio looks very promising (a hands-on review)
After using the Android Studio Early Access Preview for 48 hours, William J. Francis walks you through the install, some surprises he encountered, and more.
Posted by William J. Francis | May 28, 2013, 4:35 PM PDT | Latest comment by Slayer_
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A quick tutorial on coding Android's accelerometer
The accelerometer is a hardware sensor used to detect a shake motion. William Francis shares the accelerometer code that he uses in his Android apps.
Posted by William J. Francis | September 16, 2011, 11:55 PM PDT
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Calling RESTful services from your Android app
Mobile developer William J. Francis demonstrates how easy it is to consume a RESTful service from your Android device.
Posted by William J. Francis | March 20, 2012, 7:55 AM PDT
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A newbie's guide to Android development
William J. Francis covers Android development basics, such as the necessary tools to get started and a typical project hierarchy.
Posted by William J. Francis | May 11, 2012, 8:41 PM PDT | Latest comment by elantech
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Project your Android phone's screen onto a larger display
Learn three ways to get your Android phone display onto a large overhead screen so you can show off your killer app during your next demo or presentation.
Posted by William J. Francis | April 18, 2012, 1:18 PM PDT | Latest comment by meister2681
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App store fees, percentages, and payouts: What developers need to know
Every app store takes a cut of a developer's sales. Find out how much of the earnings usually go to the app store and when you can expect a payment.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | May 7, 2012, 1:03 PM PDT | Latest comment by Andrew Huttle
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The ABCs of Android game development: Prepare the canvas
In the first installment of his five-part app developer series, William J. Francis creates a drawing surface and a framework for controlling and updating the contents of an Android game.
Posted by William J. Francis | February 2, 2013, 9:52 AM PST | Latest comment by authorwjf
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Android's indeterminate ProgressDialog tutorial
Delve into how to use the Android ProgressDialog class to create a better user experience.
Posted by William J. Francis | May 7, 2013, 1:01 PM PDT
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Use Android's AlarmManager to schedule an event
This app development tutorial is the most basic implementation of the powerful Android AlarmManager class.
Posted by William J. Francis | May 14, 2013, 11:53 AM PDT
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Pros and cons of cross-platform mobile app development tools
If you want to use platforms that allow development for both iOS and Android apps, keep these potential benefits and drawbacks of such tools in mind.
Posted by Joseph Parker | March 15, 2013, 11:58 PM PDT | Latest comment by Cyberience
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Use Android's gesture detector to translate a swipe into an event
When developing an Android app, you can use the intuitive Gesture Detector class horizontally, vertically, and diagonally to translate subtle motions into distinct events.
Posted by William J. Francis | August 30, 2012, 1:12 PM PDT
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Show a progress bar in your Android app for a better UX
Users expect mobile apps to be responsive, and when nothing happens, they feel frustrated. Learn how to give users a better experience by adding a progress bar to your Android app.
Posted by Tim Mackenzie | March 6, 2013, 11:01 AM PST
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Android v. iOS guide for newbies
If you're just starting out in app development and trying to choose between the Android or the iOS SDK, this basic guide might be useful.
Posted by Joseph Parker | April 4, 2013, 11:20 AM PDT | Latest comment by HAL 9000
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Get started with Android fragments
After purchasing and using a Sony Tablet S, William J. Francis is sold on the idea of Android fragments. His tutorial shows how to create a functional fragment-based UI.
Posted by William J. Francis | March 14, 2012, 10:18 AM PDT | Latest comment by Aexyno
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Samsung Galaxy S4 stirs questions about Android customization
Can the Android OS be so customizable through fragmentation and app development that it ceases to be Android? Let us know what you think.
Posted by Joseph Parker | May 10, 2013, 11:53 PM PDT | Latest comment by Jennah Barnes
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Use Gson to work with JSON in your Android apps
In this Android tutorial, William J. Francis uses Gson to build up a standard Java entity and flatten it into JSON.
Posted by William J. Francis | July 3, 2012, 3:01 PM PDT
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Android's SeekBar your way
Learn how to customize the Android UI SeekBar widget by following this tutorial by mobile developer William Francis.
Posted by William J. Francis | February 14, 2012, 1:08 PM PST
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Working with Android's PopupMenu class
Android's PopupMenu widget takes all of the heavy lifting out of adding popup-like menu functionality in your apps. Here are the basics about PopupMenu.
Posted by William J. Francis | March 21, 2013, 2:42 AM PDT
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A dog limps into a saloon: A tutorial on Android's ViewFlipper widget
It can be tough to figure out the Android ViewFlipper widget's sliding in and out animation transitions. William Francis explains how to use the widget in your Android apps.
Posted by William J. Francis | November 1, 2011, 2:07 PM PDT
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Unit testing Android apps is easy with Robolectric
Robolectric unit tests can verify expected application behavior, saving you the trouble of deploying your Android app to a device or an emulator.
Posted by Jacob Orshalick | May 24, 2013, 11:39 AM PDT
