Android is everywhere. Phones. Tablets. TVs and set-top boxes powered by Google TV.
Soon, Android will be in cars and all sort of other places as well.
However, the general theme of Android devices will be smaller screens and/or no
hardware keyboard. And, by the numbers, Android will probably be associated mostly
with smartphones for the foreseeable future. For developers, this has both benefits and
drawbacks, as described next. This chapter also describes the main components in an
Android application and the Android features that you can exploit when developing your
applications.
The vibrant and rich Android development platform, created by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, continues to be a platform in its truest sense, encompassing hundreds of classes beyond the traditional Java classes and open source components that ship with the software development kit. Android's continued growth includes support for Flash and Flash gaming apps, Wi-Fi tethering, improved performance, WebM or WebMedia integration for HTML5-based video and other multimedia APIs, Chrome OS (WebOS) integration, and more.
With Beginning Android 3, you’ll learn how to develop applications for Android 3 mobile devices using simple examples that are ready to run with your copy of the software development kit. Author, Android columnist, developer, and community advocate Mark L. Murphy will show you what you need to know to get started programming Android applications, including how to craft graphical user interfaces, use GPS, multi-touch, multi-tasking, and access web services.
What you’ll learn
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Discover Android and how to use it to build Java-based mobile applications for a wide range of phones and devices.
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Create user interfaces using both the Android widget framework and the built-in WebKit-powered Web browser components.
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Utilize the distinctive capabilities of the Android engine, including location tracking, maps, and Internet access.
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Use and create Android applications incorporating activities, services, content providers, and broadcast receivers.
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Support Android 3 and earlier devices, including dealing with multiple Android OS versions, multiple screen sizes, and other device-specific characteristics.
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Create Flash game and other apps on Android.
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Build and experience the array of new WebM video and other multimedia APIs for Android and more.
Who this book is for
This book is aimed at people new to mobile development.