Android is an open source operating system developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance for use on mobile devices. It features a Dalvik virtual machine, integrated browser, multimedia codecs, Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS and other hardware integration. Apps run in a sandbox with limited RAM and storage. The SDK allows developers to create apps that take advantage of mobile opportunities like location services, games and information sharing despite challenges like intermittent networks and small screens. Project suggestions include web scrapers, asynchronous multiplayer games, and location-aware planners.

1. Android
Google

2. Android
An Open Handset Alliance Project
• http://code.google.com/android
• Write apps to run on mobile phones
• Will be released as open source
• Can download the SDK today!

3. Android Features
• Application Framework
• Dalvik virtual machine
• Integrated (webkit) browser
• 2D and 3D graphics APIs with HW
• SQLite
• Video and audio codecs
• Bluetooth, EDGE, 3G, and WiFi
• Camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer

4. Android Architecture

5. Challenges
• CPU typically runs 500-600 Mhz
• RAM available to an App may only be a few megabytes
• Disk (flash) access is very slow
• Lifecycle - apps must pause/quit often, and restore to give
the illusion that they are always running
• UI design
o typical screen may be HVGA (320x480)
o may be in portrait or landscape
o very high DPI - small text may not be readable
o touch resolution is very low (~25 pixel)
• Network access may be slow and (very) intermittent

6. Opportunities
• 100s of millions of mobile phone users
• Very high growth, esp. in Asia
• "Wild wild west" of application development
o think 1985 on the desktop (if you were born by then)
o no dominant 3rd party developers.... yet
o what will the killer app categories be?
o what does it mean to have any app + the internet in
your pocket?
• You can develop for it today!

7. Possibilities
Augmented Campus Reality
• camera + maps + compass
= heads up info
Games
• multi-player (bluetooth,
wifi, cell)
• location-based (scavenger
hunt)
Custom overlays for maps
• weather, traffic, friends
Web scraping
• news filters
• sport scores
• dook news eliminators
Distributed computing?
• 10,000 phones all donating
their idle time
• tiny terminal (phone) + fast
cpu/network (server)
Shared whiteboard

8. Project Suggestions
• Web Scrapers [movies, weather, sports, <topic> news]
o Find multiple web sources
o Scrape them for the relevant information
o Present in a custom UI on the phone
• Asynchronous games [chess, poker, risk]
o Develop an API for all games to communicate through
1.Establish connections by phone number
– Send and receive game data
– Ability to reopen connections
• Planner/To-do list with location data
o Decide route to next class, meeting, etc
o Find a order/route for non time-critical tasks
o Connect to campus directory to find
teachers/classmates