The mobile landscape is changing rapidly. BlackBerry has
finally joined the smartphone era,
Firefox has created a mobile OS, and Ubuntu
recently released its first smartphone version. Despite all this, Android remains one of the mobile operating systems to beat, and its opportunities to grow are dramatic. More people predict that one day we'll buy ourselves Internet-enabled refrigerators with touchscreen interfaces displaying familiar Android menus.
The Internet of Things is quite real, and Android is well-suited to support its next generation of apps. Even if you don't plan on creating the latest hot game or a top-of-the-line toaster-oven, you should still spend some time honing your skills and networking with other clever developers. To help you meet other developers and learn, here are some training resources and conferences scheduled for 2013. If you know of others, please post them in the comments below.
Free Training
DevBytes As you might have guessed from the name, each video in this series offers bite-sized bits of Android goodness. They run less than 10 minutes each. So far, DevBytes has covered:
- CrossFading Animations
- Property Animations
- View Animations
- Window Animations
- Bitmap Scaling
- Bitmap Allocation
Sony Android Tutorials Sony Developer World is thick with information about the company's Xperia phone, so there are plenty of device-specific tutorials here. The blogs haven't been very active since the last part of 2012, but that's changed since a ROM of the Firefox OS was released for Sony developers. These tutorials are chock full of videos.
Android Training
This training guide from Google is regularly updated and covers beginning to advanced topics.
Google Plus sign-in for apps has already been added to the collection.
Paid Training
Android Programming for Beginners This tutorial walks beginners through IDE set-up to app publishing and is available on-demand. It from Udemy, for $199
Android Training This bootcamp was designed for experienced Java developers and requires on-site participation. There are two sessions available, one in April and another in June. Both cover the same topics. The sessions cost $3,700 and are held at the Big Nerd Ranch in Atlanta. Dates are April 15-19 and June 3-7.
Lynda.com Android Tutorials A $25-per-month subscription covers all topics, and isn't limited to the Android Tutorials.
Conferences
Google I/O 2013 - May 15-17 The conference is still super secret except for registration dates. Tickets will sell out quickly. Registration opens May 13, 2013 at 7:00 AM PDT (GMT-7) Last year's Android sessions are
still available on YouTube.
AnDevCon Boston - May 28-31 From its website:
AnDevCon, the technical conference for software developers building Android apps, is the biggest, most info-packed, most practical Android developer conference in the world — and now it's coming to Boston!"
Exhibit hall access is free. Conference and tutorials packages start at $1,295. Additional attendance options are available.
Uber Conf - July 16-19 Westminster, Colo. A full day of Android or iOS training for experienced Java developers. You'll get a shiny new Android tablet or an iPad if you register for an Android or iOS training day. Cost is $1,325 to $2,850 depending on the package you choose. Register before April 23 to get the lowest price.
