How to set up your computer for Android application development
The thought of creating our own Android apps amuses most of us. “I have an excellent idea for an app,” we tell ourselves. “I could do that so much better than this developer,” is another common one. We’re never going to be able to bring those admirable ideas to light or improve upon someone else’s work if we don’t start.
Starting can be difficult, though. It can be even more difficult if you don’t have the tools to begin your Android coding journey. We’re going to show you what those tools are, how to download them, and how to get them ready for you to start programming your own apps.
The JDK and the IDE
The JDK (Java Development Kit) and IDE (Integrated Development Environment) are crucial to begin programming Android applications. The JDK implements platforms released by Oracle Corporation, such as Java EE or Java SE, to let you begin developing on the Java platform. An IDE is essentially the interface you will be programming in.
We’re going to be downloading the Netbeans IDE with JDK 8 packaged with it. We could download them both separately, but Oracle’s Netbeans and JDK download package removes quite a few steps and streamlines the process really well. You can click here to find the package.
Next, you’re going to want to select the correct download for your computer. In my case, it’s going to be the Windows x64 download. Depending on your Internet connection, it may take awhile to download the large file size.
Once it’s finished downloading, open the .exe file. A window will appear. Start the installation process, and make sure to accept the license agreement. Beyond that, it’s just like installing any normal file. Keep in mind that the installation process will take awhile, as it’s unpacking a rather large file. Once the installation is complete, simply click “Finish.”
Netbeans
Next up, you need to go here to download the Android SDK (Software Development Kit). Once it’s finished downloading, go through the installation process and setup all the recommended options. Make sure you install it to C:Androidandroid-sdk.
Once that is installed, go into Netbeans > Tools > Plugins > Settings. From there, you need to add a new update center. To do that, press “Add” and use this URL: http://nbandroid.org/updates/updates.xml. Now, go back to Available Plugins, and install the one that says Android. It’s a small file and should only take a short amount of time to finish. Once finished, a window will pop-up saying that the plugin certificates are not trusted, just say OK.
Now you’re almost ready to go! Select File > New Project > Android Project > OK. It will say that an Android SDK location has to be specified first. This is an easy fix because we downloaded the Android SDK earlier in C:Androidandroid-sdk. Simply click the Manage Android SDK button. It’ll open up an Options menu, asking you for the SDK location. Give it to the location, select OK, and you should be good to go!
Android Studio
If you’re just getting started programming, all of those previous steps are great experience. However, there’s a more simple way to setup the Android SDK. You can simply use Google’s custom Android Studio IDE to begin development. You can download it here.
After downloading Android Studio and launching the .exe, it will take you through all the necessary steps to get you setup. They aren’t hard steps to follow either, it’s quite simple, and it downloads most of the necessary tools automatically, but with your permission.
Wrap Up
So that’s how to get your computer ready for Android development! If you’re not sure how to start programming in Android and want to learn YouTube user The New Boston has some great beginner tutorials for you to go through. I personally used the tutorials when I was first starting, and they were wonderful.
How smoothly did the Android SDK setup go for you? If you still need some assistance, be sure to leave a comment below. We’d be glad to help you finish the process.
Come comment on this article: How to set up your computer for Android application development
Skrillex-branded “Live Cases” now available from the Google Store for the low price of $40
Are you a fan of famed dubstep artist Skrillex? Do you own an Android device? If so, head on over to the Google Store and check out the new Skrillex-branded “Live Cases” now available for the Nexus 5 and 6, Samsung Galaxy S5 and S6, and Galaxy Note 4. They’re now available for $40 a piece and come in three different designs: Space Shield, Circuit Bae and Lil Planet.
Each case features a customizable shortcut button on the back that gives you one-touch access to any application of your choosing. You can also set it to launch a webpage, similar to how homescreen shortcuts work. All of the cases come with a matching live wallpaper which features ever-changing views of Earth during the day and constellations at night. Purchasing one of these cases will also give you early access to one of Skrillex’s favorite OWSLA artists, along with updates sent straight to your mobile device from Skrillex himself.
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This first round of accessories are part of Google’s new “Editions” case program, so we’ll definitely see more of these pop up in the future. All of them are now available from the Google Store, so if any of this interests you, head to the link below to check them out for yourself. Oh and if you’re interested in seeing how these cases were made, be sure to head here to watch the Skrillex/Google collaboration video.
Robotic news writers are faster, but not necessarily better
Robotic news editors promise to save the trouble of picking and writing news stories (and might put people like me out of work), but are they really ready to replace human writers? Yes and no, if you ask NPR. The outlet held a showdown between Automated Insights’ WordSmith news generator and a seasoned reporter to see which of the two could not only finish an earnings story the quickest, but produce something you’d want to read. The results? WordSmith was much faster, producing its piece in two minutes versus seven, but the writing was more than a little stiff — it lacked the colorful expressions that made NPR‘s version easy to digest. With that said, newsies might not want to relax just yet. It’s technically possible for software to adapt to a given style, so flesh-and-bone writers may still want to update their resumés… y’know, just in case.
[Image credit: Justin Cook, NPR]
http://www.npr.org/player/embed/406484294/408159254
Filed under: Software
Source: NPR
Gaming cooperatively makes you more sociable, say scientists
Gaming has well known dark sides, but it can also improve spatial skills, reduce stress and even bring families together. Two new studies may further confuse you about the benefits, with one concluding that gaming makes you friendlier in the real world, and another implying it could ruin your brain. First the plus side: Texas Tech researchers think that cooperative gameplay, whether in violent or non-violent games, makes people nicer. “We found that playing with a helpful partner increases the expectation of others to reciprocate that pro-social behavior,” said author John Velez. He added that teaming up even makes you “nicer to the other team… that just tried to beat you.”
Playing cooperatively, rather than alone — even online — can stimulate gamers’ empathy so much that it negates the aggressive effects of violent games and even carries over into the real world. Velez found that players were more likely to help out pals in social situations and less likely to be hostile to friend and foe alike. “What we found was cooperative play seems to have the biggest effect in terms of decreasing aggression toward other people,” he said.
What we found was cooperative play seems to have the biggest effect in terms of decreasing aggression toward other people.
On the downside, because of the way that gaming stimulates your brain, it may increase your risk to neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers from the Douglas Institute and Université de Montréal found that gamers tend to navigate their environment using the brain’s reward center (the caudate nucleas), rather than using spatial memory from the hippocampus like non-gamers. The results were hardly conclusive, and the team said that further studies should focus on specific games. But the study shows that while gaming may make you more attentive visually, that might be outweighed by the negative effects on your brain.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Science Daily
Source: Texas Tech University, EurekAlert
Trolls are using Twitter ads to push hate speech
As much as Twitter is doing to fight harassment lately, it’s clear that ill-willed users are still slipping past the social network’s defenses — and sometimes, in very conspicuous ways. Users have spotted trolls using Twitter’s promoted tweet ads to spread racist and anti-transgender messages, guaranteeing a wide audience for their hate. The company tells The Guardian that it’s pulling these ads and suspending the offending accounts, but it’s not offering an explanation for why these tweets got through despite policies that explicitly ban hateful language. The failures suggest that Twitter’s ad approvals are relatively hands-off, and that it needs to keep a much closer eye on things so that its ads remain friendly.
[Image credit: Señor Nejo, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet
Via: The Guardian
Source: Marie Le Conte (Twitter)
Can’t Wait for the OTA to 5.1.1 with the LG G Watch? Get the Flashable File Here
Just today our own Brad Ward wrote about the Android 5.1.1 OTA update rolling out to the LG G Watch and G Watch R. Well it didn’t take long for Googlites to provide us with the flashable update in the event you are too impatient to wait your turn in line. And impatient you should be. Don’t they know how important you are?
Now bear in mind that installing this little bit of flashed imagery requires root, so if you aren’t rooted, you’ll need to take care of that first. Our simple tutorial will get you set up in a jiffy. Remember, however, that this can still be a complicated process and if you are completely technically inept, it’s probably best to skip it. Also, we’re not responsible for anything goofy that happens to your device if you root it and break stuff. It’s on you.
With that legalese out of the way, hit up the link at the bottom and become best friends with that .zip. You’ll be on your way to an updated smartwatch experience in no time, except the time it indicates on said smartwatch.
Source: Brian Buquoi
Come comment on this article: Can’t Wait for the OTA to 5.1.1 with the LG G Watch? Get the Flashable File Here
AllCast gets more Material Design enhancements in version 2.0 update
AllCast, the popular streaming application that lets you send all types of media to your television, has just received a ton of new visual changes and user interface tweaks in its newest update. Available now in the Google Play Store, AllCast version 2.0 brings new icons, scrolling toolbars, a full-height navigation drawer, a bunch of new animations, and much more.
Overall, the application hasn’t received any changes that will dramatically change the way you use it. AllCast still works just as well as it always has, but now it’s just prettier. Take a look at the before/after photos below that developer Koushik Dutta provided on Google+:
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- New animation when opening an album
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- New Album view (for photos and artists)
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- New video playback view
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- New search screen
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- New slideshow view
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- Condensed TV Series into one view
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- New navigation drawer
If you’re unfamiliar with the app, AllCast lets you cast photos, music and videos to your television through a number of different devices, including the Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Roku and many more. A free version is available, though it has a five-minute viewing limit on photos and videos. You can upgrade to AllCast Premium for $4.99 if you’d like to get rid of the limit for good.
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Interested? Head to the Play Store link below to grab the latest version!
Deal: Moto G (1st Gen.) for Verizon on sale for just $19.99 at Best Buy
Offering users a smooth Android experience without breaking the bank, the Moto G (1st Gen.) quickly became one of Motorola’s best selling smartphones of all time. The 2013 model is still a completely capable smartphone, and right now, you can pick one up for an extremely cheap price point. Best Buy is currently selling the Verizon prepaid Motorola Moto G in Black for just $19.99.
It should be noted that since this is the Verizon version, the phone only comes with 3G connectivity, no LTE. Even so, this device is usually sold for the already low price of $40, making this quite the steal.
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For those who need a refresher, the original Moto G comes with a 4.5-inch 720p LCD display, a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1.3MP front-facing camera. It also has a non-removable 2070mAh battery and runs Android 5.0 Lollipop.
We’re not sure how long this deal will last, so be sure to head to the link below to pick one up before your time runs out!
Verizon’s old phone network will stick around for connected devices
It’s no secret that Verizon wants to drop its legacy phone service like so much dead weight. But is the underlying CDMA network going to go away, too? Not for a long while, the carrier’s Fran Shammo says. He explains that CDMA will hang around for “internet of things” devices (think appliances, cars and machinery), which need only “small bursts” of data to communicate. The newer LTE network is still top priority — eventually, all of Verizon’s cellphones will depend on it — but it won’t completely replace the older technology for quite some time.
[Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon
Source: RCRWireless
Teen arrested for breaking an entire school district’s internet
A teenager from Idaho has landed themselves in hot water after arranging a takedown of their school district’s internet access. KTVB News reports that the 17-year-old student paid a third party to conduct a distributed denial of service attack that forced the entire West Ada school district offline. The act disrupted more than 50 schools, bringing everything from payroll to standardized tests grinding to a halt. Unfortunate students undertaking the Idaho Standard Achievement test were required to go through the process multiple times because the system kept losing their work and results.
The report goes on to say that authorities have found the Eagle High student from their IP address, and could now face State and Federal felony charges. If found guilty, the unnamed individual is likely to serve up to 180 days in jail, as well as being expelled from school. In addition, the suspect’s parents are going to be asked to pay for the financial losses suffered as a consequence of the attack. At the same time, a middle school student is also under investigation for attempting a similar attack shortly afterward. If there’s one lesson that we should take away from all of this, it’s that no matter what you do, you can never escape your exams.
http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1
Via: Kotaku, The Daily Dot
Source: KTVB
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