Update to Android 1.6

Using the HTC developer phone the update to Android 1.6 will most probably the last one you can run on this device. Version 2.0 will not run on it (officially)
To update the version from 1.5 to 1.6 you follow the same steps as in my previous blog entry about Android update (link) using the lastest files from HTC (link):

• Radio Image: ota-radio-2_22_19_26I.zip (same file as for 1.5)
• Recovery Image: signed-dream_devphone_userdebug-ota-14721.zip

The release notes of 1.6 (from September 2009) you find at android.com.

If you dare to walk outside the standard path, go to Cyanogen.com for a homebew, but popular mod.

Android News: DroidDraw, Simple Basic

• DroidDraw
  Until any IDE plugin can do the job of allowing us to arrange screen components visually, you can do it with DroidDraw, a tool available online, for Windows, Linux and Mac at www.droiddraw.org
• simple
  For folks who are beginners in programming or just for doing some simple stuff, any taste of Basic usually was (is) a good development tool. Now Android goes Basic too. Check out simple at code.google.com. It comes in the 3 flavors Windows, Linux and Mac.

Update to Android 1.5

The new SDK version 1.5 was already available for download mid April (link), only some end of April the Firmware 1.5 was available to update the Android phone itself. Please note the below instructions how to update does apply ONLY to the Android Developer Phone (ADP1) ! It wont work for the phones released with contracts by T-Mobile, etc. Please wait for your service provider to inform you when the update is available for you (matter of days or weeks).

Whats in the box:

• Android 1.5 Version Notes (link)
• Android 1.5 Platform Highlights (link)

How to update (the advanced way):

• HTC Android Support Page (link)

Simple instructions for an update without installing or using the SDK or its tools (following this Android forum thread) without any guarantee that it works for you.

1. It is strongly advisable to the following steps after backing up your data (even you should not loose it during the procedure), to a have a fully charged battery or better keep the device connected to the USB wire for power supply. Firmware updates with collapsing battery power can screw your device.
2. Download signed-dream_devphone-ota-147201.zip and ota-radio-2_22_19_26I.zip from the HTC  support page.
   
3. Connect to Android via USB in drive-mode (select mount on the Android screen). Eventually you need to download and the driver for the Android first (link) in order to see it as a drive.
4. Copy (do not unzip!) ota-radio-2_22_19_26I.zip to the root of the SD card (which you see as drive in Windows) and rename it to update.zip
5. Remove USB connection (better eject device only and keep the USB wire connected)
6. Shut down Android
7. Restart while holding down the home button.
8. You see a screen with a warning sign, open the keyboard and press ALT+L to access a simple text menu.
   

   Android 1.5 Update

9. Press ALT+S to start the update.
   

   Android 1.5 Update

10. press HOME + BACK to reboot
    

    Android 1.5 Update

11. After a while your Android should start up as normal.
12. Repeat the steps 3. to 10. with the second file signed-dream_devphone-ota-147201.zip.
    The second reboot takes longer than the first one, maybe 2 minutes.
    
13. FINISHED !
    

Remarks:

• You dont loose your settings, data, history.
• It slightly looks different, but there aren’t that many new applications or features (check the speech recognition feature!). It is mainly improvement of existing functionality.
• GPS applications might not work anymore (like GPS status). Download the newer version via Android Market.
• Guess some book refering to SDK 1.0 need to be updated.
• Need to check if the SDK still works with Netbeans.

How to reset Android without setting back to factory settings

I came across 2 major issues so far while using the Android phone:

1) After changing the password of my connected gmail account, Android showed me a sync error and asked me to re-enter the password. Even I enter the new password, it would throw the same error at me again and again. Only after changing back to the old password it allowed me to connect to gmail again.

2) All of a sudden I cant download application from the Android market anymore. The download get stuck after you press “install”. To avoid resetting tothe factory state, which makes you loose everything, I recommend doing this:

• Go to Menu|Settings|Applications|Manage applications
• Look for “Google Apps“. Select it.
• Press “clear data“
• Once you did that, Android ask you (new notification fter a while) to enter your google id/password (in the same way when you started it up for the first time after purchase)

Thats all. Also helps you to change the primary email account for your android.

News: Android SDK 1.5

The latest Android SDK is ready for download at developer.android.com (downloadsize doubled from ~85 to 170MB !)

Not sure if that will cause any problems with the exisiting Kenai NB plugin for Android. (link)

Android Review

The Android, aka G1 or HTC Dream, is available now in a couple of countries like Germany, Singapore, France,.. I use the phone (the development version) on a day to day basis since a couple of weeks, the same time I am getting up to speed developing applications for it. The first impressions from a consumer prospective:

• Simple design, but not as sleek as an iPhone.
• The screen touch feature is less responsive than the iPhone.
• The battery runtime is not practical. Using applications regularly and the GPS feature makes you hunt for an energy source after 1 day of use.
• The built-in applications are very simplistic and you rather start looking for some with more features to download.

This review does not reflect the technical background or quality of the Android. I am still convinced of the platform, just the first available hardware release is not optimum.

I am sure there will be an updated new version of the phone, other manufacturers will follow to produce devices using the Android platform and the number of available applications will increase, eventually reach the iPhone level. Stay tuned for more hands-on developing of the Android.

How to get started with Android and Netbeans

The Android development environment currently comes as a SDK 1.1 and can be used as a Eclipse plugin (ADT). The installation is easy and well documented, but I still summarize the steps to get it running in Netbeans and highlights some of the glitches I experienced until it was running.

1. Download the SDK from developer.android.com (link)
2. Unpack the zip file to your harddisk (DONT use paths with spaces !).
3. Read the installation guidelines (link). Skip the Eclipse part, but look at the path settings.
4. Follow the instructions for the Netbeans plugin installation at the Kenai project (link)
5. Follow the quickstart guide to configure and setup Netbeans and start your first “HelloWorld” project.
   

   New Android Project

   package org.me.hellodroid;
   
   import android.app.Activity;
   import android.os.Bundle;
   import android.widget.TextView;
   
   public class MainActivity extends Activity {
   
       /** Called when the activity is first created. */
       @Override
       public void onCreate(Bundle icicle) {
           super.onCreate(icicle);
   
           setContentView(R.layout.main);
           TextView tv = new TextView(this);
           tv.setText("Hello, Android");
           setContentView(tv);
       }
   }
   

   Here my problems started..

6. Compile the project
   Problem 1:  Cannot compile
   Unable to access jarfile ..\framework\apkbuilder.jar
   a) Check there are no spaces in your path to the jarfiles in the SDK
   b) Change the apkbuilder.bat file in the tools folder of the SDK

   set jarfile=apkbuilder.jar
   set frameworkdir=
   set libdir=
   

   to

   set jarfile=apkbuilder.jar
   set frameworkdir={your_path}\android-sdk-windows-1.1_r1\tools\lib\
   set libdir={your_path}\android-sdk-windows-1.1_r1\tools\lib\
   

7. Run the project (in the emulator)
   Problem 2:  The emulator starts up but the application (filename.apk) is not executed (not uploaded in the first place), even the emulator is started by Netbeans.

   Deleting: V:\VAR_Projects\HelloDroid\dist\HelloDroid.apk_
   jar:
   Result: -1
   

   Either you leave the emulator running after the first failed attempt or start the emulator manually from the tools folder.

   

   Android Emulator

Thats about all I can add at the moment. Now walk through the manuals and tutorials to get some real applications running and waiting for the device to arrive here for the real thing.

Google Android

I ordered the Google Android development phone today. I strongly believe in the open concept of hardware devices like the Pandora (link) or Sun Spot (link) other than iPhone or the MS XBOX as proprietary products  forcing you to join commercial membership and developer programs. I evaluate mobile devices in regards of business applications with RIA (aka REA) technology.

You need to join the Android Market Program (25 U$) in order to order the development phone for 399 U$ (shipment and duties to Singapore about 80 U$). The development unit is hardware unlocked, means you can make changes to the underlying OS and SIM-unlocked, to load with any SIM card.  The only other source for the phone is German T-Mobile, which offers the Android (SIM-, and hardware-locked) at a cheaper contract-lock-in price.

Google Android (copyright by android.brightstarcorp.com)

Some useful links:

• The official Android Website (link)
• The Dev Phone 1 specs (link)
• SDK and Developer-Tools (link)
• Youtube videos by the development team (link)
• Netbeans plugin for Android Development (link)
• Google Groups Beginner (link) and advanced developer (link)

Until the device arrives I will spend some time on getting started and using the SDK with Netbeans plugin.

Remark: Not sure if I also manage to get JavaFX running on the Android, we will see.

Update: Spending some time reading various documents and forums I understand the background. Android is executing Dalvik byte code (wiki-link) and as long JavaFX cannot be compiled as such, it wont run. Guess it is not a impossible task, waiting for someone to do it (rather a Android hardware manufacturers job to trigger it)