Android Application Development: Programming with the Google SDK Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was expecting a lot more from this book, considering my respect for ORA. I was expecting something with the rigor of K&R and got something on par with "... For Dummies". The book presents the obligatory "hello world", discusses it briefly, and then plops a fully complete application on the reader's lap. Instead of building the application up from the ground, the book explains how the full application works. I'm not a neophyte developer; I could garner the same knowledge from looking at one of the open source Android applications (like the many apps in the source tree). I was hoping for a walkthrough for an unfamiliar environment, but rather received a technical review of a finished application. Most unhelpful. Here's hoping ORA realizes how this book failed and reinvent it in a second edition.

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Android Programming Tutorials, 2nd Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)My only complaint is the page numbers are in the center and makes it harder when searching for a specific page.
Otherwise the book has some good code examples in it that helps fill in the gaps on the SDK examples. It has already helped answer a couple of questions I had without having to go write code to test things out to see how they work.

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Android Programming Tutorials show you what you can do with Android, through a series of 40 individual exercises. Android Programming Tutorials gives you hands-on instruction in how to build sophisticated Android applications, using many of the technologies outlined in CommonsWare's other Android books.These exercises lead you through the basics of creating Android applications, all the way through many fun Android features like Internet access, location tracking, maps, integrated WebKit browsers, cameras, accelerometers, home screen widgets, and much more. Full source code to all the exercise answers is available, to help you if you get stuck. Android Programming Tutorials makes an excellent companion volume to more traditional Android books that merely tell you what is possible.

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Google on the Go: Using an Android-Powered Mobile Phone Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a good book, very readable and accurate. Unfortunately it is already out of date as it came out before the current "Cupcake" ROM but it is still useful. I read it quickly and definitely picked up enough pointers to justify the price, which was very low (although shipping was expensive!)
Recommended for the average user who wants to get the most out of their Android experience.

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Google on the GoTHE EASY, FUN, PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GOOGLE ANDROID PHONES!So you've got one of those hot new Android-powered phones? Awesome! Now, get the most out of it with Google on the Go! This friendly, easy book shows exactly how to use your phone to make your life more productive, more efficient, and more fun! Making calls? Playing MP3s? Sending Gmail? Taking pictures? It's all covered here—one step at a time, in plain English. There's no faster way to master the great Google tools built into your new phone: calendar, messaging, web browsing, chat, Google Maps, YouTube, you name it!Want to customize your phone? Here's how. Need to troubleshoot a problem? No sweat: you'll find easy, step-by-step directions. Whether you're using the T-Mobile G1 or another Android-powered smartphone, this book answers all your questions so you can harness the power of Google applications and tools in the palm of your hand. •Set up your Google Android phone fast!•Quickly master phone basics, from speakerphone to call waiting•Transfer contacts from your computer or another phone•Add new Calendar appointments and reminders •Make the most of your free Gmail account•Take photos, and send them instantly to your contacts•Watch videos and upload them to YouTube•Find practically anything with Google Search•Use Google Talk's handy chat features•Get directions and traffic info with Google Maps... even use GPS!•Install new software tools and even start writing your own•Fix the most common problems with service and hardwareJohn Eddy is a long-time gadget hobbyist who has spent most of his career helping everyday people use technology, in roles ranging from product support to moderation of online forums. Patricia DiGiacomo Eddy is an accomplished technology author and mobile phone geek whose books include Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, The Absolute Beginner's Guide to OneNote, and Access 2003: VBA Programmer's Reference.CATEGORY: Digital Media

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Professional Android 2 Application Development (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Android 2 is pretty new (as of March 2010) so having an Android 2 book on the market that is good quality was unexpected. I have not read all chapters, but here are my impressions so far:
Pro's
=====
- Author's style is neither dull or exciting, just to the point. Most explanations are clear and thorough.
- I definitely feel I have a good resource to complement the online Android docs. There have been a variety of topics I've tried to answer using Android docs (and Google searches) without much luck that this book covered clearly.
- There are a lot of good topics covered. Space is not wasted on reprinting information readily available online. Instead, author regularly refers reader to web links.
- And, finally, I appreciate the well-edited index.
Con's
=====
- The book is very weak in the illustration department. For example, instead of showing an image of a NinePatch bitmap, the author explains how a NinePatch should be constructed. This is chintzy and unforgivable for a book about a heavily visual technology.
- Occassionally, concepts are introduced without providing context. 'Kinda like when you walk into a meeting and the speakers clearly know their material but forget that 90% of the others in the room need to be brought up to speed before instructing.
- Some conspicuous omissions. For instance, no information on fonts.


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Update to the bestseller now features the latest release of the Android platform
Android is a powerful, flexible, open source platform for mobile devices and its popularity is growing at an unprecedented pace. This update to the bestselling first edition dives in to cover the exciting new features of the latest release of the Android mobile platform.
Providing in-depth coverage of how to build mobile applications using the next major release of the Android SDK, this invaluable resource takes a hands-on approach to discussing Android with a series of projects, each of which introduces a new feature and highlights techniques and best practices to get the most out of Android.
The Android SDK is a powerful, flexible, open source platform for mobile devices
Shares helpful techniques and best practices to maximize the capabilities of Android
Explains the possibilities of Android through the use of a series of detailed projects
Demonstrates how to create real-world mobile applications for Android phones
Includes coverage of the latest version of Android

Providing concise and compelling examples, Professional Android Application Development is an updated guide aimed at helping you create mobile applications for mobile devices running the latest version of Android.
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

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The Android Developer's Cookbook: Building Applications with the Android SDK (Developer's Library) Review

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(More customer reviews)Contains good explanations about examples, plenty code ready to use, chapters are well divided, doing and showing exact what the topic says, no examples that you have to go implementing on it each chapter. Cover 100% of Android 2.0 and probably 95% of 2.2 version. It really helped me to start developing applications for Android platform.
Explanations start from download the SDK, Eclipse, plugins and how to setup everything, has the basic things as Activity classes, how to create all sort of Android .xml files, and the advanced knowledge as how works with Threads, that's in similar way of Java though the implementations is different, covers everything that will will need to develop all sort of applications to Android. Everything full of very useful examples.
It's worth the price.

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Want to get started building applications for Android, the world's hottest, fast-growing mobile platform? Already building Android applications and want to get better at it? This book brings together all the expert guidance–and code–you'll need! Completely up-to-date to reflect the newest and most widely used Android SDKs, The Android Developer's Cookbook is the essential resource for developers building apps for any Android device, from phones to tablets. Proven, modular recipes take you from the absolute basics to advanced location-based services, security techniques, and performance optimization. You'll learn how to write apps from scratch, ensure interoperability, choose the best solutions for common problems, and avoid development pitfalls. Coverage includes: Implementing threads, services, receivers, and other background tasksProviding user alertsOrganizing user interface layouts and viewsManaging user-initiated events such as touches and gesturesRecording and playing audio and videoUsing hardware APIs available on Android devicesInteracting with other devices via SMS, web browsing, and social networkingStoring data efficiently with SQLite and its alternativesAccessing location data via GPSUsing location-related services such as the Google Maps APIBuilding faster applications with native code Providing backup and restore with the Android Backup ManagerTesting and debugging apps throughout the development cycle Turn to The Android Developer's Cookbook for proven, expert answers–and the code you need to implement them. It's all you need to jumpstart any Android project, and create high-value, feature-rich apps that sell!

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Pro Android 3 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a really good book on Android development.
I have been extensively programming in java for a few years. Recently
I was reading about a CIO summit in our area and each of the CIOs talked about
how significant the new mobile devices are for banking, transportation
and healthcare.
I wanted to see how to quickly gain expertise in the mobile space to
my already well established enterprise skills.
This book has pointed out that I can be up and running with Android
very quickly even without buying a single android device. I could walk
through almost all the examples of this book through the emulator.
I also like the fact that most of the chapters (except for a couple at
the begining) are stand alone. Each chapter has working examples that
have been specifically developed for that chapter with few
pre-requisites. I am able to download the zip files for each chapter
so that I can import them directly into eclipse. Then I am able to
read through the chapter and look at the working example
simultaneously to make the most of it.
If you look at the google android developer website you see that
android offers an extensive set of APIs. I do find the android
documentation on the android site very good. However I needed a book
that is a bit more organized and take me from concept to concept in a
meaningful manner.
By comparison I can see that this book covers a number of android
basic features that include intents, resources, menus, dialogs,
controls, services, security, preferences, activities, and content
providers. Some of these concepts are very unique to Android. The
authors have gone into a lot of detail while covering these topics. I
must say this strengthened my appreciation of Android as a full
fledged programming platform.
I am also very pleased with the coverage of Android internals that
include processes, threads, handlers, asynchronous tasks, broadcast
receivers, wake locks, long running services, notification manager
etc.
I have always wanted to see what it means to program in opengl. This
book provides an excellent introduction to opengl including the opengl
es 2.0. Be warned though that this is not an extensive guide on
OpenGL. You may have to buy a 500 page book just to do justice to all
the intricacies of OpenGL. This book does have references to further
material that you can read on OpenGL. The animation chapter is really
fun to read. The other advanced topics covered include maps,
telephony, sensors, media.
The coverage on the contacts api is extensive and good.
It is really surprising how quickly this book was released with
coverage for tablets only after a month or two of the honeycomb
release.
Finally for a senior programmer this book goes into how to dive into
the android sdk source code right in the introductory chapter. I found
this really useful when I am not sure how a particular functionality
works when the SDK documentation is not clear.
As I have listed so many things this book covers it is fair to list a
few things that it does not cover. Game programmign is not covered at
all. Live Wall Paper topic is not covered. If you are thinking of
using Bluetooth API to write cool applications it is not covered
either.
But I am really happy with the book because I am able to gain a broad
picture of the Android SDK. I am able to understand its architecture.
I am able to explore its advanced APIs. I am left with a lot
references to supporting material in each chapter.
Excellent in all and all.
Oh, one more thing! The supplemental website that supports this book
androidbook.com seem to contain a lot of the working notes of authors
in addition to their future research on Android SDK.

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Pro Android 3 shows you how to build real-world and fun mobile applications using the new Android 3.0 SDK. It covers everything from the fundamentals of building apps for embedded devices, phones, and tablets to advanced concepts such as custom 3D components and multi-tasking. Using the tutorials and expert advice, you'll quickly be able to build cool mobile apps and run them on dozens of Android-based smartphones. You'll explore and use the Android APIs, including those for media and sensors. And you'll check out what's new with Android 3.0, including the improved UI across all Android platforms, integration with services, and more, giving you the knowledge to create stunning, cutting-edge apps, while keeping you agile enough to respond to changes in the future. What you'll learn
How to use Android to build Java-based mobile applications for Google phones with a touch screen or keyboard
How to design and implement irresistible user interfaces for touchscreens with Views and layouts
How to populate your application with data from data sources, using Content Providers
How to create 3D graphics with OpenGL and custom components
How to build multimedia and game apps using Android's Media APIs and OpenGL
How to use Android's location-based services, network-based services, and security
How to use new Android 3.0 features, such as Fragments and the ActionBar
Who this book is forThis book is for professional software engineers/programmers looking to move their ideas and applications into the mobile space with Android. It assumes a passable understanding of Java, including how to write classes and handle basic inheritance structures. Table of Contents
Introducing the Android Computing Platform
Setting up your Development Environment
Understanding Resources
Understanding Content Providers
Understanding Intents
Building User Interfaces and Using Controls
Adding Menus
Implementing Dialogs
Working with Preferences and Saving State
Security and Permissions
Working with Services
Exploring Packages, Processes, and Library Projects
Exploring Processes, Components, Threads, and Handlers
Exploring Broadcast Receivers and Long Running Services
Exploring the Alarm Manager
Unveiling 2D Animation
Exploring Maps and Location Services
Using the Telephony APIs
Understanding the Media Frameworks
Programming 3D Graphics with OpenGL
Exploring Live Folders
Home Screen Widgets and Live Wallpaper
Android Search
Exploring Text to Speech and the Google Translate API
Touchscreens
Using Sensors
Understanding the Contact API
Deploying your Application: Android Market and Beyond
Fragments
Action Bar
Selected Topics in Android 3.0

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