A Very Android Christmas – 2011

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Android Christmas 2011Christmas 2011 should be a good year to be a developer for Android.  Not just if you’re developing a Christmas-themed app as I am (look for my Christmas Ornament and Tree Designer app out now!), but for all Android developers.

There have been a few high-profile devices launched recently, and you can bet that a lot of people will be receiving Android tablets and phones this Christmas.  There is sure to be a flurry of activity when those new devices are turned on in just a few weeks.

In particular, the Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire are at a price point much lower than the previous generation of Android tablets, and the smaller size is likely to make them more accessible Continue reading →

Android Development Lessons from AnDevCon II

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I just got back from AnDevCon II in San Francisco where I got a lot of great material for my Android development efforts, and of course for this blog.  It was great, and as promised it was very developer focused. I enjoyed seeing what Android developers are focused on.

What did I take away from it?  I’ll need a bit of time to stew over the information and pull out the most important stuff.  There really was an incredible amount.

Some highlights:

Automating Android Testing

There was a lot of attention to automating and simplifying testing.  From scripting to services, there were a lot of people talking about and demoing testing options, including static and dynamic analysis tools.

I really like that there are a lot of free/open source testing options that are very mature and well supported by the community.  I think that these options are vital for small Android developers. Continue reading →

How to Distribute Your Android App Globally

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Distribute App GloballySure, it’s just the next item on your checklist – “Distribute app globally”. No problem, right?

While deploying your app to the Android Market is certainly an important step in getting global distribution, if you are looking to distribute your app as widely as possible there is much more you can be doing.

Not only have you not yet made your app appealing to non-English users, you haven’t even given many of them a chance to find your app!

Fortunately there are a number of well-known techniques to take your existing app and help spread it to the world. Continue reading →

Licensing Image and Code Assets for your Android App – Part 2

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Android licensing dangerAn important part of keeping costs down for your Android app development is to reuse code – including your own as well as open source code.

Welcome back to part two of three in this article series about understanding and working with licenses for both code and image assets for your Android apps.

Also be sure to check out part 1, which explains various types of image licenses you may come across.

This article is about licenses for code.  There are so many licenses available for code that it can get to be very confusing. Continue reading →

Getting Started with Earning Passive Income from Android Apps

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The Key to Passive Income from AndroidIf you’re looking for a full time income from Android apps or even a second stream of income, you’re certainly not alone.  One of the major allures of making apps for mobile phones is the opportunity to earn passive income – that is, income that continues even when you’re not actively working on it.

I recently wrote about this, but it’s not here on this blog.  I penned a guest article for Internet Business Mastery recently, called “Passive Income from Android Apps – Surprises and Lessons”.  Check it out if you are looking to build (or grow) a passive income stream from Android apps.

(Update, looks like the link is no longer valid)

While not all income from Android apps is entirely passive (I spend time making the apps, as well as working to get them noticed), an important point to notice is that even after I stop working on a particular app, it keeps making money.  Continue reading →