While developing the HA TV Dashboard, I found my workflow hampered by the constant context-switching between the IDE and the Extended Controls app window. Recognising the inefficiency, I explored the JetBrains Marketplace for a solution – but came up empty. Rather than settling, I saw an opportunity to innovate. I challenged myself to build a tool that would streamline the development experience directly within Android Studio.

The result is the Android Studio D-Pad IDE Plugin – a custom-built, open-source plugin that integrates navigation controls into the IDE, eliminating the need for external app switching. You can explore the project and its source code here.

We all probably know someone who uses a HTC, Sony or Samsung device, which all run on the Android platform. Android, is the choice for nearly all Mobile manufacturers with, most recently, Nokia, who were bought by MicroSoft to produce mobile devices that exclusively run the Windows Mobile Platform are now shipping their own devices (Nokia X series) that run a version of the platform based on the Android Open Source Project.

Alternative platforms like Jolla, which runs it’s own Sailfish OS can run Android apps, BlackBerry 10 has a Runtime for Android Apps and Amazon has also forked Android for use on their Kindle line of devices

Blog posts similar to Twitter’s Paul Stamatiou posting his observations on his blog on why the platform is more appealing to users than other platforms all reinforce the reasons why users are adopting the platform as their platform of choice.

Statistical data (various sources):

Platform share of phones sold printed by Asymco

Graph via Asymco

Top Five Smarthphone Operating Systems, Shipments and Market Share, 4Q 2013

Top Five Smarthphone Operating Systems, Shipments and Market Share, 2013

Table data via IDC

One such company is Thrillist, the creator of the JackThreads mens fashion app and saw their Android sales grow almost 2000% by using Android native design.

Thrillist felt the need to build something truly native, working with the right teams to figure out what that is supposed to look like. And to help them apply their branding and identity to the application they have tastefully applied the Edge Effect Library and we are excited to see this little library being put to such good use. Well done guys!

Watch the Android Developer Story on YouTube:

Check the app out for yourselves:

The world’s number 1 health & fitness TV on your mobile device

With the recent growth in popularity of Android devices The Active Channel felt it was time to compliment and enhance its existing mobile channels with a new Android application and the Android Alliance were very happy to help!

The channel provides exclusive shows on all aspects of keeping fit, including muscle building, fat loss, nutrition, martial arts, yoga and even a show on how to get a six pack.

Designed with the intention of making the official Active Channel application a first class Android citizen. We took inspiration from the Android Holo Design Guidelines. Simply following Android design patterns doesn’t mean that our app had to look the same as everyone else’s.

following Android design patterns doesn’t mean that our app had to look the same as everyone else’s

Using the app you know you are interacting with The Active Channel, branding is subtle, fonts and imagery is clean and easy on the eye. Implementation of common Android UI patterns such as action bars and navigation drawers are now common place and familiar to the users reducing the learning curve. This enables feature discovery as well as easy access to the various show categories, favourite shows and recent searches.

It doesn’t just stop there! As the shows can be part of a series users can quickly find and watch the next episode through the related suggestions. The viewer also has the option to download the show to their device for later viewing anywhere including the gym.

If you are a fitness fan you can download the app from the link provided, if you aren’t you can be sure that this app will help you become one!

This application, like all of our projects, is about creating an interactive application where sophisticated technology works silently behind the scenes enabling a seamless user experience.

We worked very closely with representatives for Gresham College; working out specifications, planning user journeys, tweaking designs, testing the flow of the application and honing video quality to give the best balance of quality over the available bandwidth.  The application has been designed to work flawlessly on a variety of mobile devices ranging from mid-level mobile phones through to 7″ and 10″ tablet computers.

We partnered with Maybeor who helped with the Content Management System that feeds the app with up-to-date lecture info. Helping to bring together an application that Gresham College are very proud of.

The final solution provides:

• Download for offline-viewing.
• Allow your curiosity to be indulged with lectures recommended by your interests.
• Look through the library by recently added or popularity.
• Browse the lectures by categories, tags or series.
• Share your favourite talks with friends.

The platform was missing a recognisable identity and its own specific design language, and with Holo the platform had a new direction. Although, this was great for the platform, it went a little far in its application, applying a strong blue accent colour to many aspects of the UI. This could create a clash with the branding and colouring of our apps and their personality. Fortunately, the platform was designed with designers and developers in mind, where we could theme elements like the button focus and pressed states, text field and list scrollbars. However, some elements could not be reached with simply creating a theme. An important component, the ScrollView and related elements like ListView, ViewPager, WebView still displayed that strong blue glow when the top or bottom of the content had been reached.

Following Android design patterns doesn’t mean that your app has to look the same as everyone else’s

For a long time developers either turned the feature off completely – removing any indication of that the bottom of the content had been reached or had to challenge our designers with creating designs that would work with the blue glow being displayed.

One advantage of the Android platform over other platforms is the fact that the it is Open Source. This means that the code running on our devices is available for everyone to read, and our team of developers did exactly that. With an understanding of how the platform applied the graphical assets used for the over scroll glow, they managed to create a library of components where the glow could be of any colour we chose. The first application to be graced with this look was the Gresham College application, featuring a nice red hue on the over scroll glow and it wasn’t long before other developers noticed the effect.

The Android platform has a strong community of developers, and has a very healthy portfolio of Open Source libraries. As the interest in how the “over scroll effect” was applied kept being asked it was an obvious choice that we should make the library available to everybody.

With this the Edge Effect Override library was uploaded to GitHub. All designers and developers could finally design their applications with their colour schemes complete. More neutral and complimentary glows could be used, allowing applications stand out and show their own personalities through colouring and branding. Rather than the Holo-blue, we could now apply brand accent colours and apply the right visual balance between brand and the Holo design language.

Within a short space of time, the library was embraced by the developer community and “pull requests” were being sent thick and fast. Soon the library started to span many more of the scroll components and a method of applying dynamic colours was introduced giving designers more possibilities to use colour. The pace at which the library grew was a thoroughly interesting experience.

So if you are an Android developer, creating your first application or your latest, download the library and apply it to your project and let the personality of your application shine as an extension of your brand.

You can download or fork the Edge Effect Override library here:

https://github.com/AndroidAlliance/EdgeEffectOverride

When We See Repeating Trends We Get Inspired To Create Our Own Output

A mobile enabled platform helping retailers to link their on- and offline commerce, and build relationships.

Tapestry lets customers collect and curate items in- store, on their mobile and sends them content, offers and rewards about the same items. Winner of funding from IC Tomorrow to further develop and trial the prototype with Liberty, one of London’s premier retail destinations.

As well as creating a personalised mobile shopping channel on the user’s phone, the system provides the retailer with data about the shopper’s tastes. Tapestry gives retailers scope to throw rewards/discounts into the mix to encourage consumers to add more products to their virtual collection and/or chatter about them on social media.

Partnering with Everywhere who helped with the UI/UX direction and developed the Content Management System that feeds the app with up-to-date product info and Guided developing the brand, the strategy for the technology and resulting platforms. Interest in the technology has been phenomenal and is expected to be picked up and rolled out to other major fashion and arts brands.

http://www.tapestry.mobi

Press releases:
LibertyLondonGirl.com – Diesel, Tapestry

Diesel on Facebook

Tech Crunch – NFC Scanning App To Link Shoppers With The Physical Things They Fancy

With just one click and one of multiple popular radio stations would start streaming its broadcast through your phone Favourite Radio was designed to be super-simple to use, with attractive big control buttons.

The interface is crisp and clean, white on white with subtle details and the LCD display -look giving the application a feel of “minimal-high-end” design. Creating an interface where all the elements look touchable yet purposeful.

Note: Favourite Radio may use large amounts of data and carrier data charges may apply. For best results, we recommend you connect your device to trusted WiFi networks when available.

The Google TV Hackathon brought together a collection of industry heavyweights fuelled on caffeine and Red Bull at Google Campus for 48 hours of intense Google TV hacking. The event was organised by the London Android Group (Londroid) and Silicon Valley Android Developers Group (SVAndroid) as two concurrent hackathons.

Whilst Google TV is not expected to be released in the UK until September, this didn’t stop the 370+ developers from both sides of the Atlantic coding and collaborating to create fresh experiences for Google TV – everything from games to smart home apps to chat.

George and his team’s winning idea was called ‘MyTV’, and showcased that television is likely to become an integral part of our daily lives. The app was built around a ‘breakfast time’ scenario that would tell the viewer about the weather, play back YouTube videos and calculate (or hopefully prevent) how late you might be for work, and display your schedule for the day. The idea was greatly received by Ralph Becker of Sony who stated the SmartWatch he was wearing also runs Android and would be a complimentary part of the MyTV set up for people in a rush.

George and his winning team will be among the first people to get their hands on the forthcoming Sony Internet Player NSZ-GS7.

For more information on creating Google TV apps, Android development, or Interactive services, please contact us or call: +44 (0)7967 726 034.

The team developed an interactive street screen, an app that enables retailers and advertisers to engage directly with consumers using Near Field Communication through digital signage, allowing consumers to purchase items directly, or view additional content.

The Isobar Create London event builds upon the success of previous Isobar Create events in Boston and San Francisco, and challenged it’s participants to create innovative Near Field Communication (NFC) applications in just 34 hours, before pitching to a panel of experts from Isobar, O2, BlueVia, BlackBerry, Samsung, Proxama, The Guardian and Contagious Magazine.
The event was a true international affair which saw developers from across the globe attend the event, each making up teams who spent 34 hours developing innovative new NFC applications that will serve to shape the future of NFC and explore the relationship between consumers and brands.

George Medve, who among his many daily operations manages AA’s mobile team states:
“This is a really exciting opportunity for mobile, and one that myself and the team are looking forward to further exploring with our clients. Using NFC we aim to develop innovative strategies to put our clients at the forefront of engagement with the consumer”.
For more information on creating Android apps, NFC applications or Mobile Interactive experiences for your business or brand, please contact us
or call +44 (0)7967 726 034.