Though the Android framework is not that complex, but its learning ropes might entangle you and trap you in the very beginning of your career. To reap the utmost benefits of Android app development, you need to work cautiously. You can avoid certain common mistakes and accomplish your project with ease.

Without any further ado, here is a list of few frequent mistakes that newbies generally make.

Avoid blocking requests on the User Interface-thread:

Isn’t it annoying and frustrating, when an application shutdowns or stop working while responding with an input? This could happen if the UI thread of the application is kept blocked for a longer period.

Every Mobile App Development Services provider uses various practices to develop an effective and user friendly mobile apps. Applications often initiate with a single thread that runs a message loop, and everything that is visible to the viewers, feedback that they receive, Activity onResume, drawing events, etc., all these are regulated via the message loops. If anything executing in this thread is consuming a lot of time, it will frustrate the users and force them to ultimately abandon that app.

You can use ThreadPoolExecutors and AsyncTasks to guard against blocking calls. It will toss these calls over worker threads. And for processing the results, you can implement callbacks and post messages in your message loop of the UI-thread, once the background tasks are accomplished.

Furthermore, you can enable “Strict mode” in your device to facilitate visual feedbacks to the users, while your app is running certain operations on the UI-thread.

Over commenting is a bad practice:

Indubitably, giving comments in between the chunks of code will make your program easy to comprehend in the future. But, adding extraneous or elongated comments is not a good practice, it can hamper your performance and make the code appear a bit clumsy and cluttered.

Avoid screwing up the programming format:

This has been observed quite often that newbie programmers screw up the formatting and make it rather hard to understand upon reading. It is that common that you can easily recognize a skilled programmer and a rookie one. Though, there are certain programming languages that demands formatting, but there are several others like JavaScript that do not.

Don’t forget the visuals – make it more interactive:

It has been observed that rookie developers often commit this mistake, but, it is quite simple to remedy this issue.

Creating an interactive application will add to its market success, thus it’s advisable to integrate certain functions to lend a positive feedback while the user interacts with the application. For instance, when users push a button, it must be highlighted before responding to the action.

With Android, you can assign StateListDrawable to your custom screen element and for this, you can build a drawable XML file featuring a state selector.

Read the Android documentation thoroughly beforehand:

Seeking guidance from the Android Developer website can help the beginners achieve their goal with ease. You will get a huge chunk of the documentation along with the SDK tools, which can also be downloaded online. This documentation not only epitomizes Javadoc API reference, but also includes tutorials, videos, etc., that can make Android app development a breeze.

Moreover, you can seek help from the Android Training for learning via resourceful tutorials that are well organized into several lessons and classes to assist the newbies and solve their doubts.

Efficient Java programming is required – Don’t be a lazy programmer:

Since, Java is a high end programming language featuring a virtual machine and demands high level skills; for developing using Java, you need to have your hands on the language prior to beginning the development process. It possesses standard programming guidelines. And, an inefficient and incorrect program can push your project into jeopardy; thus, it’s better to participate actively and work efficiently.

Maintain a regular backup of your work:

It is highly annoying when hours of hard work and efforts disappear in the end (or mid) due to certain stupid issues (either hardware or some other issue). Hence, it’s better to avoid such situations and take backup of your work at regular intervals while coding.

Integration with the OS:

There is a plethora of utile features that Android platform offers developers to easily and efficiently integrate their application with the other applications and systems. You can seek benefits of the intent handling, home screen widgets, and other useful functions, and ensure that your app is easily accessible over the mobile platforms and thus, can engage potential viewers with ease.

Wrapping Up:

The above mentioned are some of the rookie mistakes that newbies often commit while developing their Android application. Get familiar with these common mistakes and avoid them to ensure an effective application at the very first attempt. However, it’s advisable to keep improving your skills and efforts and reap its incredible benefits while contributing to the Android community. Remember: “Practice makes a man perfect”.

The post 8 Most Common Blunders That Android Beginners Should Avoid appeared first on AppTrawler.

Some insights on Android TV

Android TV serves as a smart TV platform introduced by the web giant Google. Compatible with all Android enabled devices, Android TV creates an interactive television experience via a 10-foot user interface overlaid on existing television programming. Announced on June 25, 2014, this Android feature can be easily built into television sets as well as standalone set-top boxes. With Android TV, you can gain a quick access to the Google Play Store that serves as a hub for applications which allow you to cast media(photos, videos etc.) directly to your big-screen television. And that’s not all, Android TV also emphasizes on the usage of voice search feature which enables you to quickly find content as per your search criteria. Android TV’s interface is segregated into three sections viz: recommendations on the top, media apps in the middle and games towards the bottom. You can easily navigate through these sections via a remote control, a game controller or a renowned Android TV Mobile app.

Now, some words about Google Cast

Do you want to enjoy a big screen experience for your content? If yes, then Google Cast is for you. It is a software technology that enables you to send and control content(audio, video etc.) from your small-screen computing device like smartphone, tablet, laptop etc. to a large display like a television. You need to have an Android OS-based device that runs an application which you may also avail via any reputed Android App Developing Company that uses the Google Cast API. This API will serve as a platform for discovering and communicating with the receiver application running on your big-screen device like television etc. You may even choose to customize the communication between sender and receiver applications for authentication. The best part of Google Cast is that it enables you to multi-task on your device while the content is being played on the television screen. For example, you can choose to search for a video on your phone’s YouTube application and directly send the video to your TV via the Google Cast application. Moreover, you can also choose to play, pause, seek and control volume using your phone itself.

Here are some interesting Google Cast apps that have become an instant hit among serious television viewers:

VideoStream

VideoStream is a wonderful app that allows you to stream local media to your Chromecast. It supports a wide range of formats including MKV and FLV in addition to subtitle files. This free app comes with support for ads, playlist etc.

CloudCaster

CloudCaster is a brilliant Android media player cum viewer app that allows you to stream the cloud-based media including photos, video and music tracks directly to the Chromecast. This app supports streaming from Dropbox, Bitcasa, Drive and many other online data storage platforms.

Netflix

Netflix is yet another Google Cast-ready app that allows subscribers to cast the most recent episodes of popular television shows straight from the cramped smartphone/desktop screen to the wide television screen. While the video is being played on the television, you can enjoy surfing the internet via your mobile device.

Summing it all up

Android TV and Google Cast are indeed the sweetest surprises for television lovers residing in different corners of the world. If you too are one, then don’t delay in experiencing the features available with these two services. Hope this blog would’ve helped you gain a good insight into the same.

Do drop in your views/opinions on the above post using the comments box below.

The post Small To Big Screen Casting- Possible Via Android TV And Google Cast appeared first on AppTrawler.

NFL.com Game Center Lite Apps for Smartphones

Keep track of your favorite pro-football team anytime, night or day. Follow up-to-the-minute stats and scores into the post-season playoffs. The official National Football League is the perfect mobile-application formatted with all of the basic features: rundowns of play-by-play action, live scores, audio and video-clips, player profiles, team insights, and breaking news. The Game Center Lite version meets the needs of most fans, while additional functions and features are available for a fee.

NFL.com Game Center Lite App

The National Hockey League’s (NHL) Game-Center app makes this the ideal choice for hockey fans.  Stats, scores, news, and standings can be customized to provide easy access to the latest team info.  Special audio/video features are available in paid versions of the app.

NBA Game Time Apps

Live scores, detailed stats, league standings, and team/player information are available on the official National Basketball Association’s (NBA) mobile-application. Game Times’ ability to interface prompts immediate navigation between games and player data. Upgrades allow users to remove ads and access visual and auditory game highlights. NBA Game Time makes it easy to keep track of teams and place bets.

MLB.com at Bat Lite for Smartphones

Major League Baseball’s official, MLB.com at Bat Lite, application presents pro-baseball scores, information, news, schedules, standings, player stats, and schedules. The free version runs a few video-clips each day on software that can be customized to highlight favorite teams. Paid versions feature game-day live audiovisuals for smartphones.

ESPN ScoreCenter Mobile Apps

The ESPN ScoreCenter app offers up-to-the minute sports scores and league information for teams throughout the world. Free and easily accessed, customized tabs can be organized according to preferred sports-teams. Whether you’re following baseball, cricket, basketball, rugby, football, hockey, and/or soccer, information is readily available.

Free Sports Betting and Injury Reporter Apps for your Smartphone

Any fantasy football player will appreciate immediate access to the most recent sport’s news. Find out what teams the fans are betting on, and where the sharp money is being placed. The Sports Insights’ Free Sports Betting App delivers betting trends, live odds, the latest scores, and more. The Injury Reporter App provides breaking news related to injuries and status changes through a text messaging feature. Both apps are free for smartphones.

These top sports and sport’s betting apps deliver the most current info about all major games in around the world. Fast-loading and easy to use, the apps can be easily customized. No matter what your sport, you can follow your favorite teams, establish your fantasy football line-up, set wagers, and search for up-to-the moment sport’s insights, tailor-made for you.

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But not all apps are created equal. A large number of them are good for everyone from toddlers to teens, but many are inappropriate or blatantly unsafe for anyone but an adult. Whilst you can click here to check out the most popular apps that your child can use, ensure you review any app before your child downloads it so you know that it will entertain without harm.

Additionally, you can protect your children from potentially dangerous situations by installing mobile apps that can monitor what they’re downloading and where they’re going on the internet as well as around town.

Safe Apps

These particular mobile apps are fun for every age group and contain no violent scenes or inappropriate material.

● Angry Birds – Help the birds fly in the right direction to knock down various targets. This is an addicting game that actually helps kids learn a little bit of how arcs and angles work.
● Cut The Rope – Here’s another app that works a basic understanding of physics into the fun. To get Om Nom his candy, you have to know how to swing the rope just the right way to get past obstacles and have the treat land in his mouth.
● AniMatch – This is an electronic memory match game that kids as young as two or three really enjoy–with no cards to put away when done.
● Drawing Pad – With this app, kids pull out their virtual crayons and draw just as they would on paper. Budding artists can save their completed work and then share it using email, Facebook and Twitter.
● Where’s My Water – If you child doesn’t like getting clean, this mobile app may change that. The goal is to help Swampy the Alligator stay clean which makes for good, clean fun.

Just this small sample should give you an idea of all the wonderful, safe mobile apps that both you and your kids will be happy to own.

Mobile Apps To Avoid

It’s critical to know what apps your child, particularly your teen, should avoid. Don’t take your child’s word that the app is safe because “all my friends have downloaded it.” It could result in disaster.

Omegle and Kik are two prime examples. These social apps let you chat with people based on a profile you create. Users are required to be 18, but most kids are savvy enough to get past that rule. Unfortunately this had led to teens viewing (and sometimes sharing) “graphic” photos which compromised their safety and their reputation. Remember that what’s posted online stays there forever.

Other Important Child Safety Apps

Parents can’t be with their kids 24/7, but luckily there are safety apps that can.

The Mobile Spy app records both phone activities and the GPS location where your child has been. Phone Sheriff lets you block chosen activities from running on your child’s phone. Net Nanny for Android has an app manager that keeps new apps from downloading until reviewed and approved by a parent. You can work these from any web browser so your child won’t be aware of the surveillance.

Even after you take these precautions, remember that parents are walking, talking safety apps. Learn which apps could be trouble and talk with your kids about what can happen if they download any of these to their devices. They might not want you to know it, but they will be listening.

Software Developers India works with both large and small organizations to help them develop and market their mobile app ideas for both children and adults. Their developers are experts on a variety of platforms including Android, iOS and Windows.

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