January 2016 Summaries

The AdMob Student App Challenge, launched by Google, invites students worldwide to participate in a mobile app development competition, reflecting the increasing significance of mobile technology as it surpasses desktop usage. Participants are tasked with building an Android or iOS app and devising a business plan that effectively demonstrates project management, user acquisition, and monetization strategies using AdMob. The competition offers enticing prizes, including a week-long trip to San Francisco with a visit to the Googleplex, a feature on the Google Play Store, a promotional video, and Google schwag. The overall winner and regional finalists will also receive Google devices and increased visibility through features on the AdMob website. The challenge began on January 28, 2016, and participants have until June 28, 2016, to submit their entries.

A new ebook titled "The No-nonsense Guide to App Monetization" has been launched to assist app developers in choosing the best monetization strategy for their apps. Published on the Inside AdMob Blog, this guide is part of the No-nonsense series and aims to provide developers with a comprehensive overview of app monetization, including the seven primary monetization models, their pros and cons, and crucial considerations for implementing a monetization plan. The ebook, designed to be read in 10 minutes, offers practical tips and examples to help developers make informed decisions. Additionally, upcoming blog posts will feature candid stories and advice from app developers like Christoph Pferschy, known for releasing 22 localized versions of his app, Hydro Coach. For ongoing updates and tips, developers are encouraged to follow AdMob on social media platforms.

Deep learning has rapidly gained prominence in the machine learning field, prompting the release of TensorFlow as an open-source platform to democratize access to this technology. In collaboration with Udacity, Google Research has launched a comprehensive Deep Learning Course aimed at equipping engineers and data scientists with essential skills to tackle common machine learning challenges. The course comprises four lectures, covering fundamental concepts such as data setup and simple classification, advanced topics like deep model construction and scalability, convolutional networks for image recognition, and models for text and sequence analysis using embeddings and recurrent neural networks. Interactive TensorFlow notebooks accompany the lectures, enabling participants to implement and train various models, ultimately empowering them to apply deep learning techniques to real-world problems. This initiative reflects a concerted effort to provide a practical, engaging learning experience, as detailed in the Udacity blog, where interested learners can register for the course.

Google Developer Training, in partnership with Udacity, has reached a significant milestone with 1 million enrollments in their courses, which began nearly three years ago with an HTML5 Game Development course. This achievement represents more than just a numeric benchmark; it signifies a global commitment by developers to enhance their skills, shift careers, or even start new businesses. The training empowers individuals and communities by providing the skills needed to tackle pressing global challenges through technology. As Google celebrates this achievement, they encourage continued learning and look forward to welcoming the next million students eager to leverage technology for positive change.

In January 2016, Google announced the official shutdown of several search APIs, including the Google Patent Search API, Google News Search API, Google Blog Search API, Google Video Search API, and Google Image Search API, following a deprecation period that began in 2011. These APIs were supported for over three years, but their operations were scheduled to end on February 15, 2016. As a suggested alternative, users were directed to consider utilizing the Google Custom Search API for their search-related needs.

Google has introduced spatial audio support to its Cardboard SDKs for Unity and Android, enabling developers to create immersive audio experiences in virtual reality (VR) apps using just a smartphone, regular headphones, and a Google Cardboard viewer. This update allows apps to simulate sound in a way that mirrors human hearing, taking into account factors such as the physiology of the listener’s head and the virtual environment's size and material, thereby enhancing the realism of audio interactions. The SDK is optimized for mobile performance, utilizing separate processing threads and SIMD instructions to minimize the impact on the primary CPU. Developers can easily integrate these new features, with resources available for creating multi-platform soundscapes and a simple Java API for Android. With a sample app and comprehensive documentation available, Google encourages developers to explore the possibilities of spatial audio in their VR applications.

Romain Vialard, a Google Developer Expert, discusses how developers can utilize Google Analytics to track and enhance the performance of their Google Sheets, Docs, and Forms add-ons. He highlights the limitations of using cookies in Google Apps Script due to their non-persistent nature and suggests using localStorage to maintain more consistent user metrics. Vialard also recommends employing the Google Analytics Measurement Protocol to track user interactions when add-ons run via triggers without a dialog or sidebar. For more accurate user tracking, he advises using the User ID feature in Google Analytics, which is unique to each authenticated user, instead of relying solely on Client IDs. Additionally, the potential of custom dimensions and metrics for gaining deeper insights into user behavior is emphasized, as demonstrated by the Yet Another Mail Merge add-on, which adapted its email sending limits and introduced a referral program based on analytics insights, resulting in increased revenue and user growth.

In a blog post originally shared on the Google Apps Developer Blog, Wesley Chun, a Developer Advocate for Google Apps, provides an in-depth exploration of the new version 3 of the Google Drive API, released by the Google Drive team. The post is part of the Launchpad Online developer video series, which offers a comprehensive look at the latest API, including its relationship with the previous version 2. It features an introduction to the API, an interview with a Google Drive engineer about its design, and a code walkthrough demonstrating file uploads and downloads using a command-line script, transitioning from v2 to v3. Additionally, the segment covers the option of converting files to Google Apps formats during uploads and exporting them to alternative formats like PDF during downloads. The post encourages developers to explore the official documentation and code samples available in various programming languages, and invites feedback for future technical content aimed at novice Google developers.

At CES 2016, Lenovo announced the development of the first consumer-ready smartphone equipped with Project Tango, a technology that uses additional sensors and computer vision software to overlay digital information onto the physical world. This innovation transforms smartphones into advanced tools capable of enhancing gaming and utility applications. To foster the growth of this ecosystem, developers worldwide are invited to submit their app ideas, with the opportunity to receive funding and engineering support to bring these ideas to life. Successful apps will be featured on Lenovo's upcoming device. Applications, requiring detailed project plans and visual mockups, must be submitted by February 15, 2016, with selected developers notified by March 15. Examples of potential applications include Lowe's Home Improvement's virtual appliance placement app and Schell Games' virtual Jenga game. Developers can also explore Project Tango's potential by acquiring a Tablet Development Kit to create innovative, immersive experiences.

Mobile app usage has surged by 90% over the past two years, now making up 77% of the total increase in digital media consumption, with users spending an average of 37 hours per month on apps. This trend offers publishers significant opportunities for engagement and monetization through mobile platforms. To capitalize on these opportunities, DoubleClick has provided research and best practices aimed at reaching, engaging, and monetizing app audiences. The DoubleClick for Publishers 'Mobile Bootcamp' blog series outlines four key strategies for app success: growing app audiences, engaging users, ensuring high app quality, and effective monetization.