android platform mobile handsets - experience publising your first android app

Publishing a new android application on google play is very simple.

1. write your application. There are already may blogs and ready documentation on this so wont go into the details here.

2. Generate the signed APK. If you are using eclipse this is pretty straightforward. You only need to export the application using a keystore (for the first time you need to generate it).

3. Test the APK generated on the device.

4. Go though the publishing checklist. This will help you decide on ithe various publishing options.

5. Create the publisher account (if you are going to publish in google play). To register as a publisher you need to pay $25. This can be done through your visa/master credit cards.

6. Submit the application: After creating the account you can give the description of the application and submit it within the publisher account. The application will go live within a matter of few minutes.

 Link to my first android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=myfone.vishnu.sahasranama

These are the minimum list of the things that you need to do to publish your app. However there are other features like IP protection, app statistics, future support etc that you need to think about before publishing your app.

There are some android tools that are useful like this one for image processing asset studio

App statistics: Google has the google analytics that available for free by google. This can be integrated with your android app to get the app statistics.

Also for submitting the app you need to publish some screenshots. Capture screenshots instructs you how to capture screenshots from your android phone.

Marketing: When you publish your app you also need to think about how would you like to market the application. Option to rate your app is a must as this will definitely drive more people into your application. Also if you have a link to provide feedback you can get inputs as to how to improve your app.

Advertizing: If you would like to place some advertisements then you can sign up for admob or other advertising solutions.  

Android platform mobile handsets - Google Glasses - augmented reality internet connected glasses

Google is working on its augmented reality based internet connected glasses. Augmented reality is a feature where virtual things are posted on top of real world like the ones seen in futuristic robotic movie. This can now become a reality in not too distant a future.

Google released a video indicating its intentions of what it would like to achieve in the near future. The project is still in the preliminary stages and it looks like google was trying to see the market reactions about it.

Wait a minute. Its not only goggle which is trying to enter this business. Apple is not too far behind either.

Augmented reality was introduced way back in 1990s. Earlier augmented reality was only about capturing pictures and video and feeding it to specific software. The internet connectivity wasn't that fast and good as it is now. However when virtual world and real world meets the internet it can come up with cool applications like the one shared with the goggle video. In this video goggle is trying to help the user take the best route to his destination, give up different nearest outlets to eat a burger, video chat on the move etc. All these applications look very cool.

Should you be all excited about goggle glasses. The main target of these applications is obviously the money that goggle earns in terms of advertising. Google already knows what kind of mails you read (if you use gmail), what videos you watch (you tube), where you are heading (google maps) etc. It uses all these informations to provide targeted advertising. Recently they even modified the privacy policy which allows it to provide these data to its services. 

Android platform mobile handsets - Monetizing android application developer options

After developing the application on android the question that haunts everyone's mind is what is the best way to monetize the app.

First lets explore the different ways to monetize the apps.
1. free application with advertisement.
2. Paid application without advertisement
3. Mix of the previous two.
4. Free application with advertisement and provide in app payment facility to upgrade to app without ads.
5. Block some features available only through in app payment facility.

Providing only paid apps may actually not give much of a visibility to the end user to judge the product. So the combination of the two works the best for most cases. However finally its upto the developer to decide which works out the best.

For providing the ads in android application google has come up with admobile. Signing to admobile is very easy.

For paid apps you can make use of google wallet. As of now it is operation only in US and a few other location. However it is soon expected to be opened in India.

Which of the above options do you prefer and why?