Android gPhone News Tips Opinions & Advice
Ed Burnette of ZDNet is offering a Google And Blog reader a free copy of his Hello, Android book so you can get started programming Android Apps.
The recent version of Hello, Android was updated in December 2008 so it is currently up to date with the Android 1.0 SDK, Release 2 and future updates can be acquired online as a PDF.
Hello, Android is a very easy to read 200 page book that I would personally recommend for the novice programmer trying to get started with Android.
You don’t need to have any prior experience programming for mobile devices as its actually recommended to forget anything you previously learned as Android is so different.
I previously provided a GAB reader with free access to Mark Murphy’s The Busy Coder’s Guide to Android Development as this is geared toward the more advanced programmer.
Hello, Android is actually made for someone that has only basic programming knowledge in Java or similar object-orientated language, such as C#.
The book explains Android in very understandable terminology and steps you through how to setup the Android emulator on your computer so you can get started.
The great mind exercise game of Sudoku is often used as an example for Android programming tutorials while the book spaces out well the directions among pictures and trivia.
Ed Burnette was gracious enough to provide a Google And Blog reader a FREE copy of Hello, Android (including shipping) that normally retails for $32.95 and here is how:
In the comments below provide what you would find most useful for Google And Blog to post about as well what you don’t like – constructive criticism is much appreciated.
I will then randomly select a commenter on Monday February 16th to receive the FREE copy of Hello, Android.
*** The contest winner is Bara Kathawa! CONGRATULATIONS!!! – Thank you to the 60+ submissions, keep checking up on GAB as there will be future free giveaway contests! ***
Google And Blog is cited & referenced as a top Android site in:
Awesome. I’m in the process of learning plain java right now to get a decent background for android programming. I was wondering what the next book for me would be.
Wow! What a cool opportunity! I was just hoping to find a good beginner level book too!
What would I find most useful from Google and Blog? I find the news about updates and new phones very interesting, but I would also like to hear more about useful new applications that come out.
The user contributed apps give Android so much potential, but there is also a lot of less useful apps to weed through. Knowing that you guys are keeping an eye open for the good ones is a very nice service.
As for constructive criticism, I don’t really have any right now. If I think of something I’ll post again, but at the moment I’m just enjoying your content!
Dev tips! I’m with wirbly, and have more than a few ideas for some mobile apps. How much of Java is implemented? Is JCE available in android? All burning questions I haven’t had time to fully research >_<
choose me!
im in. i wana win
Can you change the title of this, its deceiving. It falls in line with “click bait”. It should say “Win a copy of How to Make Google Android Apps”. I hate click baiting…
@zak,
I can see your point although its not a deceitful doorway page, for proper clarity I will reword the title with this understanding.
Thank You
@zak,
Changed the title to:
Say Hello Android & Win a Chance To Learn How to Make Android Apps for FREE
hello, android!
did i win?
oh and before i forget, please lean on the author/publisher to release a kindle version of the book. id buy it right away…
I would like to see more reviews of apps. Maybe even interview from the creator of these apps.
I would not like to see rumors or products that don’t have anything to do with Android.
I like the idea about more stories about the current Android community, rather than speculation pieces about possible future phones/release dates for cupcake. Who is out there making applications? What are they working on and what are they looking forward to?
What Google And Blog should post about:
More articles that aren’t geared towards news or the latest breakthrough in Android development, and more towards general discussions on various aspects of Android or the Marketplace. Articles such as comparisons, interviews, or previews of upcoming Marketplace apps are a few ideas that I’m specifically thinking of. For example, why not have a browser showdown for all of the currently available browsers on Android (and possibly even for other mobile OS’s, such as Fennec). Reviews of major Marketplace releases would also be welcome.
What Google And Blog could change:
A better design. At the moment, the front page is a mess of links, text, and pictures. I’d recommend looking into the “web 2.0″ design trends and creating something that is simple, creative, and has a lot of white space for easy reading. Being a news-oriented blog, making it easy to read the news should be top priority. Most other Android sites do not have a good design either, so you can trump them in that regard if you do it well.
Recently started doing Android development myself, so having a good book by my side should help speed things up a bit and bring some of my ideas to market faster.
-Bara
@Bara Kathawa,
Great Points!
Congratulations Bara as your have won the free Hello, Android book, please reply to my email by the end of the week or a new winner will be selected.
Thank You and congratulations!
Contrats Bara!
AndroidTapp.coms last blog post..TED Talks for Android
i’d love a free copy of this book, i’ve been struggling where to start with some of my android app ideas for a while and most things online are assuming you already know what you are doing with mobile languages and programming. this books sounds like a great place to start.
i guess it would be nice if something like this was made available online as an e-book of sorts, i’d rather read it on my computer than in my hand.
looks like i completely misread the competition.
Things I like. The content overall, the personality behind the posts, it doesn’t feel like a newspaper but real people.
Things I don’t like. The Design and layout, so many css errors and just not very appealing.
@Nathan Colquhoun,
What browser are you getting the CSS errors in?
As well, any design layout suggestions?
Thank You
@Michael Martin,
Hey Michael, I’m using firefox, and all the comments look very messy, random tables everywhere, small little boxes with the following css code
.chalt {
background-color:#E2E2E2;
}
.comment-childs {
background-color:white;
border:1px solid #999999;
margin:5px 2px 2px 4px;
padding:4px 2px 2px 4px;
}
which i think is really making it messy, not sure if that has to do with your avatars or not.
You’re sidebar is just too big. Either shrink your entire site and have a smaller sidebar or go to two sidebar columns. Try to make your posts stand up and look consistent instead of having your sidebar be just as wide and just as much text. It’s hard to know where the real content of the site really is.
Your header is messy, the advertising stands out and looks hundred times better than your own header design.
If you could clean up the header and the sidebar you’ll have a much easier to read and more pleasant site to visit for your readers.
nathan colquhouns last blog post..Links for January 27, 2009
Write about, that’s a tough question… Right now you’re putting all or most of your efforts on advertising cupcake, that’s cool but, is just increasing the anxiety for it without delivering alternatives on how to fill the gaps that we have with 1.0.
There’s a lot of great software out there that is filling many of those gaps… loom at chomp, SMS popup, atrackdog, steel, phonebooks
and those are just examples of things that are making 1.0 a great experience…. (despite the lag of the phone some times).
Constructive, please change the theme of the page as its fugly. moe than that great job… and pack my book hehe
hertzels last blog post..SNoW — sakasama no cho
any thing specific I need to put here?
@DeusInvictus,
Just what you think the site should provide and any changes it should make.
Thank You
Wow, I was just thinking about trying to learn how to write Android apps.
Thanks for the informative blog. I think you’ve done a great job covering the T-Mobile rumor mill and disucssing software and application updates. It really fills in the gaps, since so many other blogs just cover upcoming handsets and hardware.
Pick me to win
I want to learn how to make android apps
I think a redesigned logo (the GAB one with lines through it) would be nice and also make the site have a flexible width instead of a fixed width.
I want that book
Please?
Hello Android!
I just became an Android developer, so I can use all the help I can get.
Richs last blog post..Testing Windows 7. This is not Vista OR is it?
I want the book =) I cant wait to code for android!
o.o i wont win
I would love to see more news (accurate)about Abobe Flash for android and SlingPlayer mobile.I would like to see less news about anything pertaining to root access because seeing how its at out own risk then its kinda promoting the damaging of your phone.Its common sense not to use root without knowledge of it but lets face it,there are people out there who will still use root and then complain to GAB or who ever provided the link of instructions when their G1 goes down the drain.
@D,
I share those thoughts exactly – which is why the actual instructions to root are simply linked to and not directly provided here
@Michael Martin,
True but some G1 fans just don’t care when their phones down.They will still look to blame GAB as a part of this because the story is posted on just about one the most popular blog/info sites there is.Based on how they comment in the AM apps they seem to have no sense sometimes(no offense to anyone).I really hope i win this book cuzz i would love to create apps.
Hi,
Thanks for this.
I hope i get this book.
Hey,
not following your blog so long so can’t really say much.
Love to get little tips about the android plattform and maybe kind of series on how to programm for it.
btw, are europeans allowed to enter
?
@Sven Griep-Raming,
I have confirmation from the publisher that Europeans (UK & Continental) can win this contest along with the free shipping associated.
What should post about:
More stories, articles, news and updates about Android development.
What could change:
Web design. =)
I think the book giveaway promotion is a great idea, maybe spark a good Android Developer producing good Android Apps (as the Market really needs them).
I like the criticism as well, I will have to use this for user feedback. Keep it up Michael!
AndroidTapp.coms last blog post..25 Awesome Google Android Websites You Should Follow
I think this is a great opportunity to advance some new jack’s skills, and I’m hoping that guy can be me. I started into the Android tutorials online and I’d really like to learn more.
Re: GAB, maybe some sort of weekly Android app tutorial or something related to Android development. The marketplace could really use some more innovation, and aside from the lack of handsets available (which I personally consider the major hold up), what’s really missing behind Android taking off is more dev interest.
Please pick me!
I like Google And Blog for its updated news on the Android world, especially development news.
I’d like to see more articles advocating and instructing users how to manually upgrade their firmware to the open source version.
I also recommend Hello Android, among other things, it is the first book I’ve seen which discusses externalizing the menu to an XML resource file instead of hard coding.
awesome
I was looking for a start to get into android. Hope it would be nice to have a serious of articles like “Lesson 1 – Kick start” to “Lesson n – Advance Tips”. This would be a useful for start-up developers like me
Well… after putting all this in the wrong form I’ll try again.
Personally I love more news about Android but I really am looking for coding tips.
As a long term functional/scripting language guy (Perl/Python/Ruby/Javscript and so on) who’s using his new G1 as a final impetus to learn Java the more tips the better!
I hope this book is a good one. I have een looking forward to doing some Android development, but need a good starting-point.
I would love to be able to take some time and learn to write Apps for Android. I will have my G1 for 2yrs.(contract) and would love to be able to personalize it with something I did myself.
I would love to see an Application for Google Docs (Create/Edit) for the Android.
For me i just want Google And Blog to post, updates, news, android development, android phones, android jobs and ofcourse some android stuff like t-shirts and others.
I don’t like about Google And BLog hmm i think they get only 1 person to win the book they are setting as a prize they should pick many or more than 1 at least eheheh
overall im a stay in from this site!
Michael Angelo Riveras last blog post..Why sell your Android Dev Phone?
I’m developing a game application for android right now. but sdk and android tutorial is useful but not complete for me. so i wanna win this book:)
Hello Android !!!
hello Mikem,
In my first comment I was just joking, you say “Say Hello Android & Win a Chance To Learn How to Make Android Apps for FREE” so I did !!!
And for my actual comment , I would first of all thank you for your effort, and I will really appreciate it , if you make for us more technical tutorial.
Thanks a lot.
@samnai,
I got it…clever
I would love to kickstart developing on Android apps with “Hello Android”
Your site has some of the most useful and current information for Android and the G1 that I have seen. I would love a copy of the book.
Hello Android!
Oh Amigo !!!
It’s just said !!! you can tray another one
your friend Samnai !
I’d like a copy of the book. I am new at this site, but now I’ll visit it often.
Juanjos last blog post..me on twitter
Its a great site. Free books being the best part of it
the postings on this webpage are really cool.
i am gearing my self for serious android hacking .
Looking forward to get the “Hello Android” book.
I like everything about GAB, it’s always fun to read about android stuff and GAB touches on stuff that other Android sites don’t bother with.
I can’t say there is anything i don’t like here. I figure if something shows up that doesn’t interest me I simply wont read it, who am I to say no one else will want to read what I don’t.
(sorry for e-mailing you, I accidently filled in the wrong box)
The writer of this book has a GREAT article on ZDNet regarding the whole Cupcake saga & does call out, justifiably, GAB within it.
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Burnette/?p=731
A free copy of the book would be nice, but I’d be glad to buy one NOW. Did I miss where it said if it’s published yet?
You can purchase the book directly at http://www.pragprog.com/titles/eband/hello-android
It will be great to have this valuable book while coding.
I would love to win a copy of this book. I would definately make good use of it.
What would I like to see… I hear a lot of talk about Android, G1, G2 phones, and even Android on NetBooks. How would an Android noob outside of the USA be able to strategically develop applications to run well on each of these devices given their different obvious differences in form factor and capabilites and the number of optional features (GPS,Orientation,etc..) portions of the Android SDK.
My New Year’s resolution was to build an android app and this will definitely help me get there.
Hi
I would like develop some cilent and server related apps.i would do sync related.I think this book will help me!!
I look forward to the chance of winning
Hi,
Book seems great, as soon as G2 will be available in France (in March) I will developp for it !
I Hope I can have this right here !!
So i’ll try to improve the G1 & beat the Iphone
of course im ownin a G1 that why im iphone hater !!!
note: im owin iphone too but it old i wanna try the new thing.
please let me have this app right here !
Hello, Android!!! (give it to me!!!)
Here goes my luck
i just want the book to keep my current job, i must learn android in 3 months.
pick me!!! if not ill jsut buy the book i guess?!
Hello ADP, I want my Dalvik skills! Send the book to me.
The contest winner is Bara Kathawa!
Thank you for the 60+ submissions, keep checking up on GAB as there will be future free giveaway contests!
Hello Android
can i get a copy of this book
Hello Android
I will be having another Android book giveaway soon – please check back again and often.
Thank You!
I am not a programmer, but have over 20 years graphic artist experience, I need help getting started programming for android, – a free quality book on the subject would be amazing!
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I need one!!!!