Now even your cat can program…
I was actually really disappointed that the cat didn’t start coding. Which reminds me of a sketch by Paul Merton which took the p*** out of the ‘abdominiser’ and Rap’Tou adverts in the UK. He had a piece of flat foam (the ‘abominator’) with some holes in it which claimed to be able to do all sorts of amazing things including ‘teach your cat to play the piano’.
Thanks to Google Analytics I know that quite a few visits to this site are for people looking for a version of Fitaly running on Android.
I’ve found a great resource if you are interested in a ‘quick and dirty’ coded version for Android here.
What is particularly nice is that he has included the source code and links to other useful input resources. However, interesting to note he still prefers using Swype. I wonder if Swype would consider allowing you to redesign the keyboard so you could get a Fitaly and Swype mashup :-)
There are now a number of reviews out there of the G1 including scathing ones from Boy Genius and less scathing from the Android Community. However, one issue that seems to have been highlighted by many is that lack of a touchscreen keyboard.
In an earlier post I mentioned shapewriter. It seems that 3rd party software will be used to plug the hole initially that is missing with this release of the G1 / Android. ‘Dima70′ also kindly added a comment that points to the following sites:
SlideIT – http://www.mobiletextinput.com/Product/SlideIT/SlideIT.php
Swype – http://www.swypeinc.com/
Which seem to offer alternative touchscreen keyboard inputs.
I’m sure we will see more traditional pop up qwerty keyboards appear and I also hope we’ll see some more ‘whacky’ designs such as the ‘fitaly’ keyboard making an appearance soon.
Whilst finding out a bit more about the Dalvik virtual machine on Wikipedia I found a link to this article by Stefano Mazzocchi.
Although it is a little tricky to read in parts it is very interesting to understand how Google (hopefully) have got around some of the potential licencing restrictions of using Java by creating their own VM. However, it does also contain a warning that could become more relevant if Sun sees Android as a real challenger to Java on mobile devices:
“This means that if Android does, in fact, use some of Sun’s IP, it is entirely possible for Sun to sue any hardware vendor that ships Android with their phones and prevent them from shipping.”
Hopefully that ‘if’ proves to be unsubstantiated and Android can carry on its merry way but otherwise it could spell a whole host of issues for the platform in the future…
There have been a few interesting articles recently (including this on in the Guardian) about how Android could affect the gaming market. I really hope that Android opens the gates for some talented game developers who don’t have access to bags of cash but who can market through the Android Marketplace. It would be nice to see a return to an environment where you don’t need several million pounds and a load of graphics experts to launch a successful game.
However, Handango have also been mentioned in reference to Android so it sounds highly likely that the Android Marketplace won’t be the only point from which people can access software. I’m personally not a huge fan of the ‘grim’ Handango’s way of dealing with developers or customers. So I hope Google treats people with more respect.
A more worrying trend in mobile gaming is in multiplayer games using GPS. From what I can understand of this phenomena, this could lead to it becoming a normal day to day experience to see geek types spontaneously jumping on each other and battering the cr&p out of each other with their mobile phones. Whilst i’m sure Darwin would approve, I’m not sure what the police will make of people on tube platforms taking sniper shots at each other with their G1′s.
I’m sure the tabloids would also have a field day with titles such as Slashwars [cached link here] where random punters are meant to attack each other by swiping their phones in the air (presumable simulating knives). I guess if they keep their cameras switched on then this could create a whole new genre of ‘happy-slapping’.
Great article here about how Apple has approached applications that are competitive or ‘too silly’. If this proves to be the thin end of the wedge then this approach could prove too dictatorial for even the biggest iPhone fanboy. The fact that even Microsoft’s ‘Mr. Mobile’ – Jason Langridge is pointing to this as a step too far is a worrying sign. At least Microsoft treats its app developers ‘fairly’ by producing a similar product, including it for free and then using its weight to market the hell out of it – thus crushing the competition slowly..
This is an area where Google hopes that Android’s ‘openness’ will shine. The idea being that the Google marketplace will be a democracy rather than the App Store’s dictatorship. It could be argued that this will lead to a lower quality threshold but hopefully the voting system on the market place will help wade through some of the rubbish. I would forsee that users could also access applications via other sites and will not be restricted to just the Google market site.
Silicon Alley Insider and others have commented on the release of the update beta release of the Android SDK.
Google developers have been upset previously by Google’s ‘preferential’ treatment of certain developers (primarily those involved in the Android Developer Challenge – and even more likely to phone manufacturers). I don’t see this as that unusual as they may have felt that releasing it to a smaller subset of developers first would help them iron out any ‘showstopper’ bugs before they released it to the wider community.
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