I recently finished Wrox’s book titled Professional Android Application Development, no content description required.  At the time I bought this, and I think it’s still the same, there are only two books for purchase on Android Development.  I’ve always been a fan or Wrox books, so I chose this one.

Personally, I loved it.  It’s the kind of book you read, rather than reference.  It’s all learn by example, and they have several great example applications that you develop throughout the book.  In the end I felt I had a solid enough starting point to venture out and develop applications on my own.

Any holes left after reading the book are easily filled referencing Google’s Android Docs.  They’ve been steadily improving them and adding coding examples which has been greatly appreciated.

If you’re in the market for a Android book, I highly recommend the above!

Cheers,

Brenton

After uploading my first application, I started receiving votes, and comments.  A little tip about releasing Android applications, “Have a thick skin!”

People are either really nice and helpful, or down right rude, childish, and vulgar.  Here are a few examples of some of the negative comments I received (these are copied verbatim):

• Theres at 6 other flashlight apps not including this one, the first one was fucking good enough.
• Ufc is the greatest organization in the worlld next to the church of jesus christ
• I didnt pay $300 and $80 a month for a fuckin flashlight
• Cool i can use this to see mah meat when i beat off @ night gr8 job guys,, SKEET SKEET!
• Dam with the flash player 10, u think we’ll be able to hear the music on myspace profiles

Many people couldn’t see the point of another FlashLight application.  In a way I could see their point, there are now eight of them, and they all ruffly do the same thing.  I’d like to think that mine is a little more thought out than just a white block with a keep awake.  After all, I wrote this one because I was unhappy with the other ones I tried. Which brings me to another point, “Why does there only need to be ‘one’ of something?”

I mean, under that logic, we all should have been happy with Microsoft DOS right?  Why do we need so many other operating systems.  What about all the different email applications out there, or web browsers, all doing the same thing.  People like options, and competition only drives innovation.  While my FlashLight might be simple, and might do what everyone elses does (essentially), I think I added some features which makes mine better.

One other point, IT’S FREE!  How can you be so negative towards a FREE application!?

Some people did like my FlashLight application, and left me some really helpful comments.

• Nice and simple, but to make this app even better,  have xy axis.y makes the radius and ftuff make x change britness without comprimising shape
• Better the the other ones…..make diff colors it be better
• Brilliant idea!  The brightness readout could be omitted.  To the whiners, it’s FREE.  10 free apps are better than 1 free app.  So selfish …
• Really good app, would be improved slightly with trackerball support

These comments were really helpful.  I plan to apply most of the suggestions into the next release of the FlashLight application.  The one that I’m leaving out is the first one, the one about xy axis support.

When I first made the application, I actually wrote it so that Y axis would change the size of the circle, and X axis would change the brightness.  A friend of mine pointed out that I’m basically working with a linear adjustment  in light, and that I should just use the Y axis to change both.  So, I changed my code and tested it.  After a two days of using it with the single axis setting, I found that I liked it better than the divided axis.

Anyway, that’s what I have to say about comments.  Hope you all don’t experience the same poor quality of responses for your applications.

Cheers,

Brenton

So, it’s been a few years since I used my flash-the-brain domain for anything.  I put this site together years ago, and took it down in 2003 when I just didn’t have the time to code.

While in the past I used this domain for some flash application and games that I was playing around with.  Recently, I had a desire to turn this site into a mobile development blog for Flash Lite, having seen it gain some traction and improvements.  Much to my chagrin, Flash Lite has shaped up to be a lemon.

Then came Google’s Android platform.  Having spent the last month or so messing around with coding things for it, I’ve decided this is my future.  Java is similar enough to Action Script that I don’t have to spin my wheels too much to figure out how to get things done in it.  I also see Android as a future dominating platform for the mobile market.

In short, flash-the-brain is going to be dedicated to Android development.  Hope you find the future of my site engaging, informative, and helpful!

Cheers,

Brenton Klik