MyFlexRadio App Released on the Android Market

Feb 05

AndroidWorkzAndroid, Applications, News , , , No Comments

MyFlexRadio has been published on the Android Market and is officially affiliated with MyFlexRadio.com. Go get it!

MyFlexRadio
MyFlexRadio

Lock Screen
Lock Screen Replacement

Custom Menu Bar (tabs) – How to hook the menu button to show/hide a custom tab bar

Feb 04

AndroidWorkzAndroid, Development, Tutorial , , , , , , No Comments

I want to begin this tutorial by crediting Josh Clemm for the underlying Custom Tabs implementation found in this example. The way he accomplished customization is very clean and the best method I have seen to date.

The subject of this tutorial is how to create your own custom menu bar that will be shown and hidden when the user clicks the menu button on his/her device. There are many other uses for this example and it just isn’t limited to a menu or tab bar. For example, you can use this to show and hide a panel that contains whatever content you want to be shown. It could be used for contextual help or MediaPlayer controls, etc.

Custom Menu Panel
Custom Menu Bar

The basis of this example is the layout. I have found that the RelativeLayout is superior for creating great layouts that perform well across devices. If you want to learn more about what a RelativeLayout can do for you I highly recommend that you check out Working with Multiple Android Screens in the Motorola Android Technical Library. For the purpose of this tutorial… I haven’t followed everything that I should have as far as creating a good cross device application by defining my layouts using dip (Density Independent Pixels)… but this is just an example. Now let’s get to it.

The main layout for the application contains 2 RelativeLayouts, a TextView, a TabHost, a TabWidget and a View. In particular, I want to point out the layout_alignParentBottom attribute of the panel RelativeLayout. This attribute is one of 4 separate attributes that allow you to place a RelativeLayout on any side of the parent layout. I also want to bring your attentions to the visibility attribute which allows us to set the layout as hidden. Using “gone” makes the layout to be completely hidden, as if the view had not been added.

/res/layout/main.xml

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:background="@drawable/background"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">
    <TextView
        android:background="#000000"
        android:id="@+id/content"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:text="">
    </TextView>    
    <RelativeLayout
        android:layout_alignParentBottom="true"
        android:id="@+id/menuPopup"
        android:background="@drawable/tl_bg"
        android:layout_width="fill_parent"
        android:layout_height="90px"
        android:visibility="gone">
            <TabHost
                android:id="@android:id/tabhost"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="fill_parent">
            <LinearLayout
                android:orientation="vertical"
                android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                android:layout_height="fill_parent">
                <View
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="0.5dip"
                    android:background="#000">
                </View>
                <TabWidget
                    android:id="@android:id/tabs"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_marginLeft="0dip"
                    android:layout_marginRight="0dip">
                </TabWidget>
                <View
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="2dip"
                    android:background="#696969">
                </View>
                <View
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="2dip"
                    android:background="#000">
                </View>
                <FrameLayout
                    android:id="@android:id/tabcontent"
                    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
                    android:layout_height="fill_parent">
                </FrameLayout>
            </LinearLayout>
        </TabHost>
    </RelativeLayout>
</RelativeLayout>

The second layout is for each individual tab. I am not going to go into how to customize the tabs in this tutorial. You can check out Josh Clemm’s tutorial from the link above to learn more.
/res/layout/tabs_layout.xml

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:id="@+id/tabsLayout"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    android:background="@drawable/tab_bg_selector"
    android:padding="5px"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:orientation="vertical">
    <ImageView
        android:id="@+id/tabsIcon"
        android:layout_width="36px"
        android:layout_height="36px">
    </ImageView>
    <TextView
        android:id="@+id/tabsText"
        android:layout_width="wrap_content"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:layout_marginTop="5px"
        android:text=""
        android:textSize="12px"
        android:textColor="@drawable/tab_text_selector">
    </TextView>
</LinearLayout>

The first activity is called CustomMenuBar.java

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package com.androidworkz.example.custommenubar;

/* Proper credit where credit is due
 * The custom tabs implementation contained within is adapted from an example
 * by Josh Clemm @ http://joshclemm.com/blog/?p=136
 * His custom tabs example is also located at http://code.google.com/p/android-custom-tabs/
 * The icons are from an icon pack that I found some time ago and can't remember where
 */

import android.app.TabActivity;
import android.content.Context;
import android.content.Intent;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.KeyEvent;
import android.view.LayoutInflater;
import android.view.View;
import android.widget.ImageView;
import android.widget.RelativeLayout;
import android.widget.TabHost;
import android.widget.TabHost.TabContentFactory;
import android.widget.TabHost.TabSpec;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class CustomMenuBar extends TabActivity {
   
    private TabHost mTabHost;
    private static RelativeLayout mMenuPanel;
    private TextView content;

    private final static String WEBSITE = "http://www.androidworkz.com";
   
    // This isn't necessary but it makes it nice to determine which tab I am on in the switch statement below
    private static class TabItem {
        public final static int SEARCH = 0;
        public final static int SHARE = 1;
        public final static int WEBSITE = 2;
        public final static int SETTINGS = 3;
        public final static int QUIT = 4;
    }
   
    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setContentView(R.layout.main);
        setupViews();
    }
   
    private void setupViews() {
       
        content = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.content);
        content.setText(getString(R.string.search));
       
        mMenuPanel = ((RelativeLayout) findViewById(R.id.menuPopup));
        mMenuPanel.setVisibility(View.GONE);
       
        mTabHost = (TabHost) findViewById(android.R.id.tabhost);
        mTabHost.setup();
       
        mTabHost.getTabWidget().setDividerDrawable(R.drawable.tab_divider);
       
        addActivityTab(new TextView(this), "Search", R.drawable.search, new Intent(CustomMenuBar.this, Search.class));
        addActivityTab(new TextView(this), "Share", R.drawable.heart, new Intent(CustomMenuBar.this, Share.class));
        addMethodTab(new TextView(this), "Website", R.drawable.globe);
        addActivityTab(new TextView(this), "Settings", R.drawable.tools, new Intent(CustomMenuBar.this, Settings.class));
        addMethodTab(new TextView(this), "Quit", R.drawable.power);

        mTabHost.setOnTabChangedListener(new TabHost.OnTabChangeListener() {
            @Override
            public void onTabChanged(String arg0) {
                if (mMenuPanel != null) {
                    if (mMenuPanel.getVisibility() == View.VISIBLE) {                  
                        toggleMenu();
                    }
                    switch (mTabHost.getCurrentTab()) {
                        case TabItem.SEARCH:
                            content.setText(getString(R.string.search));
                            break;
                        case TabItem.SHARE:
                            content.setText(getString(R.string.share));
                            break;
                        case TabItem.WEBSITE:
                            content.setText(getString(R.string.website));
                            final Intent visit = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
                            visit.setFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK);
                            visit.setData(android.net.Uri.parse(WEBSITE));
                           
                            // Use a thread so that the menu is responsive when clicked
                            new Thread(new Runnable() {
                                public void run() {
                                    startActivity(visit);
                                }
                            }).start();                
                            break;
                        case TabItem.SETTINGS:
                            content.setText(getString(R.string.settings));
                            break;
                        case TabItem.QUIT:
                            content.setText(getString(R.string.quit));
                            new Thread(new Runnable() {
                                public void run() {                        
                                    CustomMenuBar.this.finish();
                                   
                                    // The following makes the Android Gods frown upon me
                                    android.os.Process.killProcess(android.os.Process.myPid());
                                    System.exit(0);
                                }
                            }).start();
                            break;
                        default:
                            break;
                    }
                   
                    // Handle click on currently selected tab - hide menu bar
                    // IMPORTANT: This listener has to appear AFTER the tabs are added
                    // Unfortunately, This doesn't work when the current tab contains an activity (except for tab 0)
                    // If you only have method tabs then it works perfect
                    mTabHost.getTabWidget().getChildAt(mTabHost.getCurrentTab()).setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
                       
                        @Override
                        public void onClick(View v) {
                            toggleMenu();
                        }
                    });
                   
                    //if you want to reset the current tab
                    // mTabHost.setCurrentTab(0);
                }
            }
        });
    }
   
    // Use this method to add an activity or intent to the tab bar
    private void addActivityTab(final View view, final String tag, int iconResource, Intent intent) {
        View tabview = createTabView(mTabHost.getContext(), tag, iconResource);
         
        TabSpec setContent = mTabHost.newTabSpec(tag).setIndicator(tabview)
                .setContent(intent);
        mTabHost.addTab(setContent);

    }
   
    // Use this method if you only want the tab to execute a method
    private void addMethodTab(final View view, final String tag, int iconResource) {
        View tabview = createTabView(mTabHost.getContext(), tag, iconResource);

        TabSpec setContent = mTabHost.newTabSpec(tag).setIndicator(tabview)
                .setContent(new TabContentFactory() {
                    public View createTabContent(String tag) {
                        return view;
                    }
                });
        mTabHost.addTab(setContent);

    }
   
    private static View createTabView(final Context context, final String text,
            int iconResource) {
        View view = LayoutInflater.from(context)
                .inflate(R.layout.tabs_layout, null);
        TextView tv = (TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.tabsText);
        tv.setText(text);

        ImageView icon = (ImageView) view.findViewById(R.id.tabsIcon);
        icon.setImageResource(iconResource);

        return view;
    }
   
    @Override
    public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
        if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MENU) {
            toggleMenu();
            return true;
        } else {
            return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
        }
       
    }
   
    public static void toggleMenu() {
        if (mMenuPanel.getVisibility() == View.GONE) {
            mMenuPanel.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
        } else {
            mMenuPanel.setVisibility(View.GONE);
        }      
    }
}

Here is one of the example activities that are set as content for the activity tabs. I will only publish this one because they are identical.
Search.java

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package com.androidworkz.example.custommenubar;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.view.KeyEvent;
import android.widget.TextView;

public class Search extends Activity {

    @Override
    public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
        super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
        setupViews();      
    }
   
    private void setupViews() {
        /* Search Tab Content */
        TextView textView = new TextView(this);
        textView.setText(getString(R.string.search));
        setContentView(textView);
    }
   
    @Override
    public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
        if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MENU) {
            CustomMenuBar.toggleMenu();
            return true;
        } else {
            return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
        }      
    }
}

The code in CustomMenuBar.java is commented and you should be able to follow what it does… I am going to concentrate on the primary subject of this tutorial which is hooking the menu button and displaying and hiding the menu panel. First, it is very easy to hook the menu button. This is accomplished by overriding the onKeyDown method of the activity and catching the KeyEvent for the menu button. If you look at the KeyEvent page in the SDK documentation you can see that there are many KeyEvent constants that allow you to hook almost any key.

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@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MENU) {
        toggleMenu(); // show or hide the menu as required
        return true;
    } else {
        return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    }  
}

The next important part is the toggleMenu()_ method which just sets the visibility of the panel. Notice that the modifier of the method is static. This allows us to call this method from another activity. I will go into more detail below.

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public static void toggleMenu() {
    if (mMenuPanel.getVisibility() == View.GONE) {
        mMenuPanel.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
    } else {
        mMenuPanel.setVisibility(View.GONE);
    }      
}

Now look at Search.java above. You will notice that it also has the Overriden onKeyDown method. This is because only the currently active Activity can catch KeyEvents. So we have to Override that method in each of the activities that we are using. The difference in these activities is that they don’t have access to the panel… only CustomMenuBar has access to it… so the workaround to be able to toggle the menu is to call the method directly in CustomMenuBar. This is the static call I mentioned above. Notice that in Search.java I am calling toggleMenu() like CustomMenuBar.toggleMenu();.

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@Override
public boolean onKeyDown(int keyCode, KeyEvent event) {
    if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_MENU) {
        CustomMenuBar.toggleMenu();
        return true;
    } else {
        return super.onKeyDown(keyCode, event);
    }      
}

I hope that this tutorial helps you design a great app. You can download a complete Eclipse Project for this tutorial here: CustomMenuBar.zip

chronix Radio

Jan 28

AndroidWorkzAndroid, Applications, Development, News , , , No Comments

chronix Radio has been published on the Android Market and is officially affiliated with chroniX Radio. Go get it!

chronix Radio
chroniX Radio

Lock Screen
Lock Screen Replacement

Android Bartender released

Dec 13

AndroidWorkzAppbrain, Applications, General, News , No Comments

Android Bartender is little drink recipe search engine app I put together for fun. It has 32,479 drink recipes that are search-able by name or ingredient. Drink recipes can be shared by any means supported by your phone… email, messaging, facebook, twitter, etc.

Check it out: Android Bartender on appbrain.com

FroShedYo! 2.2 Froyo CM/AOSP Rom Released

Nov 16

AndroidWorkzAndroid, Development, News, Review , , No Comments

I just found out a few minutes ago that one of my friends released a kickass mod based on Cyanogen ROM 6. Please check it out and show him some love. :)

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=824160

Developers: Use System Explorer to select directories or files

Jul 05

AndroidWorkzApplications, Development, System Explorer, Tutorial , , , , No Comments

I have added PICK_FILE and PICK_DIRECTORY intents to System Explorer so that developers can use it to select files or directories. You can also pass the file name or directory to open and System Explorer will start there.

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 /**
 * Opens System Explorer to open a file.
 */
private static final int REQUEST_RESULT = 1;

private void openFile(String fileName) {   
    Intent intent = new Intent("com.androidworkz.action.PICK_FILE");
   
    // Construct URI from file name.
    intent.setData(Uri.parse("file://" + fileName));
    intent.putExtra("com.androidworkz.extra.TITLE", "Select a file to open");
    intent.putExtra("com.androidworkz.extra.BUTTON_TEXT", "Open");
   
    try {
        startActivityForResult(intent, REQUEST_RESULT);
    } catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
        Toast.makeText(this, "System Explorer is not installed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
}

/**
 * Opens System Explorer to open a directory.
 */
private void openDirectory(String directoryName) { 
    Intent intent = new Intent("com.androidworkz.action.PICK_DIRECTORY");
   
    // Construct URI from file name.
    intent.setData(Uri.parse("file://" + directoryName));
   
    // Set fancy title and button (optional)
    intent.putExtra("com.androidworkz.extra.TITLE", getString(R.string.pick_directory_title));
    intent.putExtra("com.androidworkz.extra.BUTTON_TEXT", getString(R.string.pick_directory_button));
   
    try {
        startActivityForResult(intent, REQUEST_RESULT);
    } catch (ActivityNotFoundException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
        Toast.makeText(this, "System Explorer is not installed", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT).show();
    }
}

/**
 * This is called when the user has selected the file or directory and clicked a button to return to your application.
 */
@Override
protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent intent) {
    super.onActivityResult(requestCode, resultCode, intent);

    switch (requestCode) {
    case REQUEST_RESULT:
        if (resultCode == RESULT_OK && intent != null) {
            // obtain the filename
            String filename = intent.getDataString();
            if (filename != null) {
                // Get rid of URI prefix:
                if (filename.startsWith("file://")) {
                    filename = filename.substring(7);
                }
                // Do something with the file here
            }      
        }
        break;
    }
}

System Explorer Released!

Jul 03

AndroidWorkzApplications, General, News, System Explorer , , , , , No Comments

Today we have launched our first application on the Android Market. It is a full featured file manager with built in text editor, image viewer and zip utility.

Features

  • File Manager
  • Text Editor
  • Image Viewer
  • Zip Utility
  • Install APK files from your SD Card
  • Open Media Files from your SD Card
  • Copy, Cut, Paste, Delete files from your SD Card

Indication of things to come?

Jun 04

AndroidWorkzApplications, Development, News , , , No Comments

Another huge difference between the iPhone OS and Android is the development cycle. I don’t know Objective C but I can’t imagine that it is easier to write applications in than Java and if the truth be told when I was looking through the documentation for Objective C it gave me a headache. From a career standpoint, it doesn’t make any sense for me to learn a language that I see as proprietary… it’s the same reason I don’t code in Visual Basic or J++. I CAN learn to do it if I want… because almost all object oriented programming languages share the same basic principles… it’s only a matter of learning syntax (which can be helped by syntax hinting in most good IDE’s). This brings us to a possibly revealing announcement yesterday from Layar that has shocked alot of people.

Amsterdam, June 2nd 2010. Today Layar introduces a new way to browse with the latest Layar Reality Browser (version 3.5). The rapid growth of content within Layar increases the need for real time location based search. With the new version of the browser users can now easily discover and experience Augmented Reality without the need to enter a search query or open a specific layer. Users will immediately see the most interesting content nearby whenever they open the Layar Reality Browser, taking Augmented Reality from novelty to utility.

What’s interesting about this announcement is that if you visit their site and read the press release you find this:

Layar Reality Browser version 3.5 with Stream Technology is available now for download in the Android Market. The iPhone release will be available soon.

So basically, they have released the Android version but not an iPhone version yet… since the release is merely an update for an application that is already on the iPhone apps market they don’t have to wait for approval… so that leads to the speculation that seems logical. It’s easier to develop applications for Android and they released the application that was completed while they are continuing development on the iPhone version. What do you think happened?

Layar’s Reality Browser revolutionizes mobile content discovery, by simply presenting the most interesting mobile content based on a user’s location & preferences. When launching the Layar Reality Browser users will be presented with a dynamic list of the most interesting content at their location. The list is sorted by time, location, proximity, popularity and preferences. The benefit of a list is that discovery is now possible without the need to hold the device up. It lowers the threshold to find interesting content, encouraging daily use.

About Layar
Layar is the world’s leading Augmented Reality Platform and browser on mobile. The Layar Reality Browser has more than 2 million users and serves 2.4 million augmented objects every day. The browser comes pre-installed on tens of millions of phones from leading handset manufacturers and carriers by the end of the year.

Over 700 layers are published on the Layar Platform with over 2500 in development. These layers are developed by the global community of 3500 Layar publishers and producers, and by leading brands and agencies. Layar is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The company is VC funded and has 32 employees.

The free Layar Reality Browser is available on Android devices and iPhone 3GS. The Layar Platform is available for anyone to create their own Augmented Reality experiences on.

10 things Android does better than the iPhone

Jun 04

AndroidWorkzDevices, Review , , No Comments

I have never owned an iPhone because I have tried AT&T and was never satisfied with the service. I live just north of Charlotte, NC and it seems their coverage is spotty here because I had alot of dropped calls or bad connections. It has been rumored for months that Verizon would get the iPhone at some point… but so far that has proven to be mere speculation. I can honestly say that having played with my friends iPhone that it is an impressive device that has snappy response and a nice looking interface but it is my opinion that Google has the iPhone coming and going for a few different reasons and Gizmodo seems to agree with me. Here is a short top 10 list of reasons that Android is dominating the market that Gizmodo has posted.

1: Android can Run Multiple Apps at the Same Time

Android vs iPhone OS

Starting with version 1.0, Android has been able to run multiple applications at the same time regardless of whether they are system apps or apps from the Android Marketplace. The current version of iPhone OS does offer limited multitasking, but only allows native applications such as Mail, iPod and Phone to run in the background. Android users benefit greatly from this discrepancy, as they can receive notifications, listen to music, or even record GPS data without keeping the application open. Apple will try to level the playing field with iPhone OS 4, granting developers access to a small and limiting list of APIs that can run certain services in the background, but it’s a long way from the true multitasking that Android has.

2: Android Keeps Information Visible on Your Home Screen

Android vs iPhone OS

One of the key features Android has is a customizable home screen keeps active widgets right at your fingertips, always accesible and always visible – without having to launch an application first. There are widgets for just about every app in the Android Marketplace from playing music to checking the weather and keeping up to date on Facebook. Meanwhile iPhone users are force to flip through their app list to locate and launch each app. If you wanted to check the forecast, for example, you would have to find the app, launch it, and then wait for it to load. With Android, all of that information can be displayed directly on your home screen, never more than a finger swipe away.

3: Android Has a Better App Market

Android vs iPhone OS

It’s true that Apple’s App Store has over 180,000 applications, while the Android Marketplace has only just broken the 50,000 mark but Android’s rapid growth and adoption give it the potential to catch up to the iPhone App Store. Android also has another advantage: a completely open market. Apple receives around 10,000 app submissions per week, yet many apps are overlooked because they appear too simple or denied because a similar app already exists. The Android Marketplace is driven entirely by its consumers, so the best app is the one that succeeds – not the first one to reach the market. In addition, the Android Marketplace doesn’t censor its apps, so the possibilities are truly endless.

4: Android Gives You Better Notifications

Android vs iPhone OS

The iPhone has some trouble with notifications. Because it’s restricted to pop-up notifications, it can only handle one at a time and because it lacks multitasking, applications must be open in order for them to make notifications. Android, on the other hand, has a convenient notification bar which displays an icon for every notification you have waiting. The notification bar can also be pulled downward to reveal more detail about each notification. Android also allows app developers to make notification details viewable from the lock screen, something the iPhone can only do with native applications.

5: Android Lets You Choose Your Hardware

Android vs iPhone OS

Apple users are encouraged to “Think Different” but when it comes to the actual hardware, they don’t get much choice. You can pick the color, either black or white, and you get to choose between the 16GB or the pricier 32GB version. Other than that, you’re stuck with the 3.5-inch, 320×480 pixel display, 256MB of RAM, and 600MHz processor. Because Android is an open platform, manufacturers have the freedom to pair it with any hardware they want, like the Nexus One (with 3.7-inch, 480×800 pixel display, 512MB of RAM, and 1GHz Snapdragon processor) or the Motorola Droid which has a physical keypad. Obviously, available selections will vary by carrier – speaking of which….

6: Android Lets You Choose Your Carrier

Android vs iPhone OS

AT&T truly is the iPhone’s weakest link. The iPhone’s success turned the country’s fastest 3G network into a staggering mess of dropped calls and dodgy data connections. If you lust after an iPhone and live in an area with poor AT&T coverage, you’re stuck struggling with low signal quality, slow data speeds, and missed calls. Android devices are available on every major cellular carrier (although AT&T only offers a single, somewhat underpowered, Android phone). Verizon has the Motorola Droid, Droid Eris, and Droid Incredible to start. T-Mobile has the Nexus One, MyTouch 3G, Behold II, and will soon carry the MyTouch Slide. And Sprint has the Hero, Moment, and plans for the very promising Evo 4G. No matter where you live, Android lets you pick the carrier that’s best for you.

7: Android Lets You Install Custom ROMs

Android vs iPhone OS

The iPhone can be Jailbroken for some additional functionality, like installing apps that aren’t available in the App Store, but the overall experience is the same. You’re still stuck with the same exact interface. Similar to the Jailbreaking movement, Android has a small community dedicated to building custom ROMs for Android devices. Not only do Custom ROMs bring the same functionality Jailbreaking does, but they also bring an additional level of customization to your phone. There are ROMs that port custom UIs from one device to another. Other ROMs strip down bulky features and optimize for speed. With Android, nothing is out of reach.

8: Android Lets You Change Your Settings Faster

Android vs iPhone OS

Smartphones have been gaining more and more functionality over the past few years: Wi-Fi, GPS, 4G, Bluetooth, etc. While these are all great and necessary additions, they have very adverse affects on battery life. In attempts to counter poor battery life, users have taken to toggling system settings like turning on Wi-Fi or 3G on only when they are needed. iPhone users are stuck digging around in the system settings every time they want to use the internet or a Bluetooth device. Android lets you use widgets to manage your settings directly from your home screen – and for those lesser-used settings that might not have dedicated widgets, you can also create shortcuts on your home screen to take you directly to the setting you want to change.

9: Android Does Google and Social Integration

Android vs iPhone OS

With Smartphones giving us constant connectivity, it’s not surprising that the majority of our computerized lives are moving online. We have email for our messages, Flickr for our photos, Google Docs for our documents, and Facebook and Twitter for our social lives. Android offers the ability to integrate all of this natively. Your Gmail account can be automatically synchronized with your phone. Photos taken with your phone can be automatically uploaded to Flickr. Your phone can even be linked to your Facebook account and can sync your phone contacts with your Facebook friends – complete with profile images, email addresses, and phone numbers. The iPhone can do this only through use of third party apps, and is nowhere near as seamless to use as the Android alternative.

10: Android Gives You More Options to Fit Your Budget

Android vs iPhone OS

If you’ve ever thought about buying an iPhone, you have probably noticed the price tag. The older iPhone 3G costs $99 with a two-year commitment and performs sluggishly with the latest OS updates when compared to the 3GS (which will run you a whopping $199 with two-year agreement). Because Android is an open source platform, it is very cost effective to implement which means savings for the end user. Every major cellular carrier (except for AT&T) has at least one Android phone available free with two-year agreement. Of course these are lower end Android devices, but they are still comparable in performance to the iPhone 3GS. The most expensive Android phones (which significantly outperform the iPhone 3GS) are $199 with two-year contract.

I am not slamming the iPhone… it has been a revolution in smart phones and there is no doubt. However, I prefer to have control… iPhone users don’t have it and won’t for the foreseeable future.

Introducing Android Workz

Jun 01

AndroidWorkzGeneral , , No Comments

We are officially launching AndroidWorkz today. Our goal is to provide a useful resource for Google Android phone users, developers and enthusiasts. We will be providing links to Android sites and resources, reviews of Android based devices, software or services as well as developing Android apps for release.