Today’s Topic Summary
Group: http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/topics

• Pop-message [1 Update]
• Announcing: The Android Developers Union [7 Updates]
• Is SL4A a better tool to test android Applications [1 Update]
• touch listener with background service [2 Updates]
• Gingerbread BroadcastReceiver Issue [2 Updates]
• How to detect walking [1 Update]
• Toast not disappearing [1 Update]
• Launching an app from the quick search box creates a new instance of the app? [2 Updates]
• User says they can’t uninstall [7 Updates]
• How to take a picture from a front camera [1 Update]

 Topic: Pop-message

“Onkar Dhane,Software Developer,Alphabricks Technology pvt. ltd” <dhane.onkar@gmail.com> Mar 01 08:51PM -0800 ^
 
Hi,i want to show popup message after completing my progress bar
task.
i have done with progress bar(Ex. 2min) after completing 2min i want
to show popup message so how i can achieve this??
please help me….

 

 Topic: Announcing: The Android Developers Union

Rich <miserlou@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:10PM -0800 ^
 
Hello, fellow Android devs!
 
I’m sure many of you, like myself, have been fed up with Google
because of their
lackluster support for the Android market.
In response, I am forming a Union of Android Developers. The demands
are laid out here: http://www.andevuni.org/
This is the statement of intent:
 
We, the members and supporters of the Android Developers Union,
are fed up with the conditions of the Android Market. We are tired of
being treated like sharecroppers on Google’s digital plantation! We
have compiled a list of seven demands which Google can implement to
improve the Market. Implementing these demands will absolutely improve
the working conditions for Android developers, thereby improving the
Android ecosystem and giving a better experience to our customers.
If our demands are not met, we will move our applications to
alternative marketplaces or the web, cease Android development in
favor of other more open platforms, we will dissuade other developers
from developing Android projects, and we will work tirelessly to
counter any of Google’s hypocritical claims about Openness in the
media.
These are our demands! They are simple and they are attainable, so
we hope that Google will do the right thing!
 
* Renegotiation of the 32% Google-tax on applications sales
* Remedy to the Order of Entry Effect
* Public Bug Tracking
* Increased Payment Options
* Codified Rules and a Removal Appeal Process
* Communication and Engineering Liaison
* Algorithmic Transparency
 
Please! Join the mailing list, sign the petition, and make a stink!
We are doing this because we _love Android_ and we want it to thrive,
which it can’t
do until we developers and our customers are treated fairly and given
a reasonable
place to sell our wares!
 
Thanks very much for your attention!.
Rich

 

“Maps.Huge.Info (Maps API Guru)” <coryat@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:18PM -0800 ^
 
This is silly. Can’t you find something better to do?
 
-John Coryat

 

Justin Anderson <magouyaware@gmail.com> Mar 01 07:22PM -0700 ^
 
Oh please…. This is ridiculous. Sure, Android development and Google has
its problems. But it is by far better than any other development platform
out there.
 
I have friends who develop for WebOS, iPhone, and Windows Mobile 7…
Android development (and even the meager support received) is far superior
and we have a lot less crap to deal with than the others.
 
Good luck on a worthless cause…
 

 

TreKing <trekingapp@gmail.com> Mar 01 08:27PM -0600 ^
 

> Please! Join the mailing list, sign the petition, and make a stink!
 
 
While I appreciate your effort and agree with your intent, this is rather
pointless. Your phrasing is childish and the graphic on the site is comical
at best. No one is going to take this seriously – particularly the people
that you’re targeting.
 
Here’s some fun reading:
 
http://groups.google.com/group/android-discuss/browse_thread/thread/83659b76bb8c8799?pli=1
http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers/msg/ab94cdf1c46d90d2
 
————————————————————————————————-
TreKing <http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> – Chicago
transit tracking app for Android-powered devices

 

Rich <miserlou@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:56PM -0800 ^
 
How is it silly? Many developers have had their apps removed without
warning and it’s frankly unacceptable. I make my _living_ off of
application develop and this kind of instability is intolerable,
especially considering that Google has taxed me out of over ten
thousand dollars.
 
Just because market conditions are better than other places, doesn’t
mean that they are good, and not worth improving. (And, quite frankly,
there are many reasons which Apple’s App Store are superior in terms
of curation, quality, and customer navigability of new apps.)
 
And yes, of course the aesthetic is a tongue in cheek joke, but the
demands are very real.
 
R
 

 

Romain Guy <romainguy@android.com> Mar 01 07:31PM -0800 ^
 
Rich,
 
I am very sorry you feel this way. However, setting up an online form that
may be used by anyone to spam a few individuals working on Android is not
the appropriate solution (especially since these individuals, including
myself, do *not* work on Market.)
 
 
–
Romain Guy
Android framework engineer
romainguy@android.com
 
Note: please don’t send private questions to me, as I don’t have time to
provide private support. All such questions should be posted on public
forums, where I and others can see and answer them

 

morrildl <morrildl@google.com> Mar 01 07:38PM -0800 ^
 
I’m sorry you are not satisfied with the experience you’ve had with
Android Market so far. I look forward to seeing your applications on
other platforms.
 
Please note that the page you have put up encourages people to send
unsolicited email of a commercial nature in bulk. Spamming or a call
to spam someone is an unacceptable use of this group. Please review
the group charter at http://source.android.com/community/groups-charter.html
and reconsider your spam campaign.
 
- Dan
 

 

 Topic: Is SL4A a better tool to test android Applications

“A. Elk” <lancaster.dambusters@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:56PM -0800 ^
 
Although you don’t have to have a developer phone (debug access) for
every type of testing, you do need one to run some of the developer
tools like Hierarchyviewer.
 
Also, remember that you can’t do unit testing on applications that
aren’t yours, even if you happen to know their internal details. Your
application and test package have to be signed with the same key.
 
The OP still hasn’t answered my question about why he’s trying to test
applications that he doesn’t seem to own. That question may be beyond
the scope of this forum.
 

 

 Topic: touch listener with background service

sleith <raysleith@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:26PM -0800 ^
 
hi
is there a way to get touch listener even if the app is on background
or using service?
 
i need to get the x y position.
thanks

 

Justin Anderson <magouyaware@gmail.com> Mar 01 07:46PM -0700 ^
 
no
 

 

 Topic: Gingerbread BroadcastReceiver Issue

ip332 <iprilepov@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:08PM -0800 ^
 
Jake,
 
Regarding “onStartCommand isn’t called” after restart.
This is more like a terminology problem: when Android “restarts” the
service it actually “recreates” i.e. calls onCreate() method only.
onStartCommand() is not called because nobody requested this service
directly (e.g. no other process issues callService())
 
Do your initialization inside onCreate() but keep return START_STICKY
in the onStartCommand().
 
BTW: you don’t need to wait for an hour to recreate the kill/create
scenario: use DDMS to manually kill your service.
 
Good luck
Igor

 

Jake Basile <jakerbasile@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:15PM -0800 ^
 
My issue was that according to the documentation, onStartCommand would be
called, but with a null intent. Dianne confirmed it was an error in 2.3/3.0
and will be fixed in the next platform release.
 
Using onCreate did solve the problem though, as said above.
 
I never thought to try DDMS. The next time something like this pops up, I’ll
check it out.

 

 Topic: How to detect walking

gjs <garyjamessilva@gmail.com> Mar 01 05:46PM -0800 ^
 
Hi,
 
> …however since GPS drains battery badly…
 
I don’t find GPS battery drain is that bad, having done battery run
down testing on Nexus S with GPS running for 8 1/4 hours continuous &
still had 47% battery remaining.
 
Your mileage may vary.
 
Regards
 
On Mar 2, 1:23 am, Marcin Orlowski <webnet.andr…@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 Topic: Toast not disappearing

vnv <nikola1010@gmail.com> Mar 01 05:36PM -0800 ^
 
> Hi,
 
> No unfortunately that didn’t work.
 
Just for a try…. always put Log.d() or whatever…… if you see
constantly repeating output message…. you have while(1) problem and
it’s easier to notice it.

 

 Topic: Launching an app from the quick search box creates a new instance of the app?

ZEAN QIN <qinzean@gmail.com> Mar 01 04:04PM -0800 ^
 
Thanks for your time.
 
I’ve fixed the crash problem. Now it behaves normal.
 
There are a few activities in my app.
At the moment, a typical life-cycle of my app can be:
 
1. Click the icon on the launch menu to create activity A,
2. Create activity B from activity A
3. Click “HOME” button to send the app to the background
4. Search for this app in the quick search box, click the icon from the
result list
5. The previous task comes to foreground and a new activity A’ is
launched into the task
6. Click the “BACK” button to kill activity A’
7. Click the “BACK” button to kill activity B
8. Click the “BACK” button to kill activity A and quit the app.
 
But ideally, I want it behaves like this:
 
1. Click the icon on the launch menu to create activity A,
2. Create activity B from activity A
3. Click “HOME” button to send the app to the background
4. Search for this app in the quick search box, click the icon from the
result list
5. The previous task comes to foreground and the instance of activity A
brought to the front to interact with the user
6. Click the “BACK” button to kill activity A
7. Click the “BACK” button to kill activity B and quit the app.
 
The “singleTop” solution doesn’t solve this problem perfectly.
 
I’ve noticed the Google “Talk” app can handle this very well and behaves in
the second way. I wonder how it does it.
 
The reason I raise this post is that the first behavior of the app may be
confusing to the users. I am not sure what the general users expect, but if
they do expect that behavior, I am pretty happy with the first solution.
 
Thanks

 

Dianne Hackborn <hackbod@android.com> Mar 01 05:33PM -0800 ^
 
You can use “adb shell dumpsys activity” to see all of the activity stacks,
if you want to see what another app is doing.
 
 
–
Dianne Hackborn
Android framework engineer
hackbod@android.com
 
Note: please don’t send private questions to me, as I don’t have time to
provide private support, and so won’t reply to such e-mails. All such
questions should be posted on public forums, where I and others can see and
answer them.

 

 Topic: User says they can’t uninstall

rich friedel <rich.friedel@gmail.com> Mar 01 03:55PM -0800 ^
 
I am curious…
 
I just had a comment posted for my app and they claim that they couldn’t uninstall my application.
 
My initial reaction is that they just don’t know what they’re doing and are blaming my app. However, I wanted to see if anyone else has heard of that happening.

 

Marcin Orlowski <webnet.android@gmail.com> Mar 02 01:14AM +0100 ^
 

> My initial reaction is that they just don’t know what they’re doing and are blaming my app.
 
Because even if they do not know what they are doing it’s still your fault.
 
> However, I wanted to see if anyone else has heard of that happening.
 
Yes, silly user comments happen all the time.
 
–
Regards,
Marcin

 

TreKing <trekingapp@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:26PM -0600 ^
 

> However, I wanted to see if anyone else has heard of that happening.
 
 
More than likely, this is yet another bug in the Android Market.
 
I got an email from a user 10 days ago – they upgraded to my paid app and
tried to uninstall the free app through Market. It disappeared from their
list of downloads, but was still on the phone. Apparently it was also
causing his phone to crash. Awesome.
 
When I instructed him to try to uninstall via the phone system settings,
that worked just fine for him.
 
Unfortunately many users believe the Market to be the sole app manager and
think it’s the only way to uninstall apps. So when things go wrong they of
course they blame you. I got lucky and got an email, but getting blamed for
Market issues is a sad reality. Like when they’re stuck on “downloading” or
“authorizing purchase” and think it’s a problem with your app.
 
It’s bad enough the Market is a bad as it is and there’s no support for it -
to get blamed for their problems and having to support the
issues yourself on top of that is just adding insult to injury.
 
————————————————————————————————-
TreKing <http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> – Chicago
transit tracking app for Android-powered devices

 

rich friedel <rich.friedel@gmail.com> Mar 01 07:43PM -0500 ^
 
You make a good point about the possibility of the market messing up.
 
Yeah, I really wish they would send an email so I could help them.
Personally I think your idea of using your site to “respond” to user’s
comments is brilliant! It’s just too bad the user will probably never see
the response. I’m going to start doing something similiar.
 
Also, thinking about displaying a dialog upon first opening (after they
install) telling them to please contact me if an issue arises.
> On Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 5:55 PM, rich friedel <rich.friedel@gmail.com>
wrote:
 
> Unfortunately many users believe the Market to be the sole app manager and
> think it’s the only way to uninstall apps. So when things go wrong they of
> course they blame you. I got lucky and got an email, but getting blamed
for
> Market issues is a sad reality. Like when they’re stuck on “downloading”
or
> “authorizing purchase” and think it’s a problem with your app.
 
> It’s bad enough the Market is a bad as it is and there’s no support for it
-
> to get blamed for their problems and having to support the
> issues yourself on top of that is just adding insult to injury.
 
————————————————————————————————-

 

TreKing <trekingapp@gmail.com> Mar 01 06:48PM -0600 ^
 

> It’s just too bad the user will probably never see the response. I’m going
> to start doing something similiar.
 
My app is rigged to check the blog and alert the users – so they do see it.
At least until they uncheck the option.
I’m slowly but surely educating the users that the Market is not a support
channel.
 
I’ve had several people update their comments and email me after I responded
to them. Although I’ve also had one guy go from 2 stars to 1 star after I
responded. You might consider not being a sarcastic ass when addressing
*your* users. Personally, I can’t help myself
 
> Also, thinking about displaying a dialog upon first opening (after they
> install) telling them to please contact me if an issue arises.
 
I do that as well. Every little bit helps.
 
————————————————————————————————-
TreKing <http://sites.google.com/site/rezmobileapps/treking> – Chicago
transit tracking app for Android-powered devices

 

Riyad <rkalla@gmail.com> Mar 01 05:19PM -0800 ^
 
> responded. You might consider not being a sarcastic ass when addressing
> *your* users. Personally, I can’t help myself
 
lol, the trials and tribulations of a developer being forced into the
customer-support role from time to time

 

DanH <danhicks@ieee.org> Mar 01 05:26PM -0800 ^
 
Yeah, I’ve never really cared for users — not really sure what good
they are (other than for testing). Life would be a lot easier without
‘em.
 

 

 Topic: How to take a picture from a front camera

“Igor Nesralla Ribeiro” <nesralla@gmail.com> Mar 01 09:34PM -0300 ^
 
Hi,
 

 
I have a question …how to take a Picture from a front câmera …. And throw
it into a imageview…
 

 
Thanks in advance
 
Igor Nesralla Ribeiro

 

–
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups “Android Developers” group.
To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
android-developers+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en

Categories: iPhone

---