Droid vs iPhone, Google’s Open Door Policy Challenges Apple’s Control Model
Once again open-source populism takes on a proprietary system where Apple is King.
The Android Market is an open service that lets you distribute your apps to any handset users. The Android Open Source Project gives developers complete access to the entire platform source code. The Android SDK provides tools, sample code and documentation needed to create whatever app you envision . You can create or update your existing development environment by installing the Android 2.1 platform as an SDK component. Except as noted, this content is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5.Refer to the Android Developers blog for full information.Learn more about ADC 2.
Meanwhile, developers are becoming enraged at Apple’s recent wave of lockdowns and shutdowns… “Truly, this ‘draconion’ license agreement is just an extension of Apple’s control issues, exemplified by its closed system,” says Gavin Dunaway. “And having a closed system will eventually hobble it. There’s a reason why most people and businesses use PCs and not Macs — the former have far more flexibility because they’re open sourced. You can do a lot of neato personalization with OS X, but the limits on customization pale in comparison to a PC in terms of both software and hardware.”
“You may be able to do a lot with an iPhone, but due to Apple’s unwillingness to give some power to developers, you’ll eventually be able to do far more on its competitors.”
Android Dev Phones
Run and debug your Android applications directly on one of these devices. Modify and rebuild the Android operating system, and flash it onto the phone. The Android Dev Phones are carrier independent, and available for purchase by any developer registered with Android Market.
Maps API Key
If you’re writing an Android application that uses Google Maps (with MapView), you must register your application to obtain a Maps API Key. Without the key, your maps application will not work on Android devices. Obtaining a key requires just a couple of steps.
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DownloadThe Android SDK has the tools, sample code, and docs you need to create great apps. |
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PublishAndroid Market is an open service that lets you distribute your apps to handsets. |
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ContributeAndroid Open Source Project gives you access to the entire platform source. |
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Target DevicesThe Device Dashboard provides information about deployed Android devices to help you target suitable device configurations as you build and update your apps. |
Ringdroid for Android 2.2 is a free ringtone app that lets you create tones, alarms, and notifications from MP3, WAV,AAC/MP4, 3GPP/AMR files you load onto your phone through the SD card or that you purchase through the Amazon MP3 store. Unlike many Android apps that use the Menu keys to store some software functions, most of Ringdroid’s controls are out on the interface and all respond to touch.
Introducing home screen widgets and the AppWidget framework
“You can easily add widgets into your existing app, and in this article I’ll walk through a quick example: writing a widget to show the Wiktionary “Word of the day.”
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