Key Ring Demo Video
Hey everyone, just finished a pre-production demo of Key Ring. Take and look and let us know what you think! Likes? Dislikes? Would you use this? More »
New Froogloid Mobile App ~ Key Ring
A few of you may have heard of a mythical product called “Key Ring”. We’ve mentioned it but have yet to provide substantial information about what it does, when it will be released, what it looks like etc. With that said, I hope to provide some additional information with this post and get your feedback. Would you use this product? What features do you want? Etc… Unfortunately, Key Ring isn’t ready for market quite yet, but the lead developer, Simmone Mago, is hard at work and we hope to release it sometime in the next couple of weeks. More »
How to design your very own android application
Occasionally I receive an email asking if it’s hard to design and build android applications and what’s the best way to get started. So, I figured it made sense to post a quick how-to on our blog on how to make a design. Unfortunately, I’m not a developer so I’ll only be covering the design aspects of the process. With that said, stay tuned for future dev how-to’s from Froogloid’s master android developers.
First, chose an application idea that’s do-able. For example, don’t try to invent a time traveling mobile application your first time out the gate :) Once you have your idea, do some research to see who else is offering a similar product. If someone has already built an application that’s very similar to your idea, don’t be discouraged. The reality is, your idea is probably not an original. Study what other people have built and figure out a way to add additional features and streamline the apps usability. Often times it’s better that someone has already built a product similar to your idea so that you can learn from their design shortcomings.
Now that you have your idea, let’s get started with the design. First, if your not familiar with the Microsoft office application “visio”, I HIGHLY encourage you to learn. It’s a simple application that will allow you to create screenshot designs very easily and fast. If you’re a newbie check out the visio how-to video’s on youtube. Here’s one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmDjmm0btO8 Here’s the best part…. a company by the name or artbitfuls has created a custom visio stencil specifically designed for android UI creation. You can download the stencil here and also see some of the designs they’ve created using visio. Keep in mind that visio is very helpful in regards to designing your layout and picking which android widgets to use. However, visio is not a great tool to design custom buttons and graphics. I would strongly encourage you to use photoshop for this. When designing, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. The android SDK has provided a wealth of existing widgets to use in your design. USE THEM! Trust me, it will make your life so so so much easier! The previously mentioned visio stencil provides graphics of most of the widgets however, go here for a complete list.
When I make design I try to focus on one thing ~ “make the application as user friendly and intuitive as possible”. Here’s a tip: try to find the most non-techie person you know, in my case it’s my girlfriend, and without telling them anything about the application you’ve designed ask them to review the screenshots and provide a play by play on what the application does and how the user will interact with it. If you’ve designed, let’s say, a bowling game and they think you’ve designed a baseball game you’ve got a problem :) It’s best to change your design as early in the process as possible. Otherwise you’ll have a very angry developer :)
Here’s a couple before and after screenshots of a2b. You’ll notice the layouts are very similar but the actual graphics are different.
Visio Designs:
Built Application:
HTC Dream ~ Someone has it…. or do they?
In the latest a2b release, v1.1.0, we included a small bit of code from flurry analytics that allows Froogloid to monitor a2b’s usage etc. Don’t worry, it does not give us access to sensitive user information such as who’s using the app, where they’re using it etc. It mainly provides a way to monitor what devices are using the app, which countries, # of sessions, and # of errors experienced in the app. Think of it like google analytics but not NEARLY as detailed…
Yesterday I was surfing around the analytics report and noticed something interesting…. there’s a new device using a2b :) That’s right, someone who owns an HTC Magic, aka G2, has purchased a2b! First of all, I have to say I’m quite flattered that one of only a few people in the world that owns the HTC Magic has decided to purchase a2b. Almost brings a tear to my eye :) Second, you know what this means right? The launch of the G2/HTC Magic is getting extremely close! Finally, android will become a multi-device operating system. Although, I use that term loosely considering the HTC Dream is bigger brother of the G1. I’ll get really excited once I see an android device released from another manufacturer.
Here’s a screenshot of the analytics report:
The Calm Before the Storm
Growing up in Oklahoma, the phrase “the calm before the storm” was often used. If you see storm clouds, but yet the wind and sounds of nature were unusually calm, watch out, you’re about get smacked in the face with nature’s fury! I feel the same applies with the android operating system. Although, if android takes off, likely your house won’t go with it! :)
So here’s my point ~ right now there is only one android capable phone on the market, T-Mobile G1. The phone itself is okay, not as sexy as an iPhone but it gets the job done. However, the underlying operating system, android, is very robust. The G1 proved 2 things; 1) the android operating system works, and works well! 2) The mobile application development community, companies like Froogloid, Big in Japan etc, are very committed to building fun/useful innovative applications for the android platform. Android beta phase is OVER and it’s the calm before the storm!
So what’s looming in the horizon? Well, 48 open handset alliance partners ready and willing to build android capable devices and deploy them on their networks. Android is open, which means android can and will be available on EVERY carrier (i.e. Verizon, sprint, vodafone, TIM etc..) no matter what type of network ~ GSM v. CDMA etc. Imagine android as a snowball. Right now, it’s at the top of the hill and has juuuussstt started rolling forward. As it moves, it picks up momentum, and with this momentum consumers all over the world will start to use and hear about android/”Google Phones”. But it really all comes down to one very simple ideal ~ consumers want cool phones. If there are 2 phones on display, lets say oh I don’t know, maybe an iPhone and the G1. The average consumer is going to pick the iPhone because it has that wow appeal. The consumer has no idea what the android operating system is and honestly doesn’t care. All they want is a cool, user friendly phone that they can show off to their friends. Obviously google and the OHA partners get this. There’s not going to be one iPhone killer, it’s going be death by a thousand cuts! :) Here’s a few examples of the android capable phones we’re going to see in 2009!
