March 2016 Summaries

MobiSystems, the company behind popular productivity apps like OfficeSuite, achieved success through strategic adaptation and flexible monetization strategies. Initially developing for PalmOS and Pocket PC, they quickly embraced new platforms such as Symbian and Android, with Android becoming pivotal to their growth. This early adoption, coupled with being pre-loaded on numerous devices, significantly expanded their user base. MobiSystems adapted their monetization approach by transitioning from a premium-only model to incorporating in-app purchases and advertising, which allowed for a free app version supported by high-quality ads. This approach resulted in a surge in downloads despite an initial revenue dip, ultimately bridging the revenue gap and ensuring a sustainable business model. Their success demonstrates the importance of flexibility and willingness to explore unconventional business models in the evolving app market.

"Machine Learning: Recipes for New Developers" is a new developer show launched by Josh Gordon, aimed at helping developers get started with machine learning through easy-to-follow episodes. The show is designed to be accessible, not requiring advanced prerequisites like calculus, and covers a progression from basic "Hello World" projects to solving real-world problems using machine learning. The episodes are short, typically 5-10 minutes long, and are published bi-weekly, occasionally featuring guest appearances from Google team members who specialize in machine learning. The first episode introduces machine learning and guides viewers through creating a simple classifier using six lines of Python code. Additionally, the initiative aims to lower the barriers to learning machine learning, as discussed in a segment of "Coffee with a Googler" featuring Laurence and Josh.

VR view, introduced by Nathan Martz, is a tool designed to easily embed immersive 360-degree VR content into apps and websites, enhancing user engagement across platforms like Android, iOS, and the web. This tool transforms traditional content into interactive experiences that can be accessed on phones with a Cardboard viewer or desktop computers. Developers can integrate VR views into native apps using the latest Cardboard SDK for Android or the newly available iOS version, which is provided in Objective C as a CocoaPod. On the web, adding VR views is simplified through an iframe, and the open-source HTML and JavaScript are available on GitHub for customization. The introduction of VR view aims to elevate the user experience in various sectors, from travel and real estate to news and entertainment, by making it easier to tell stories and create visually engaging content that captivates audiences.

Google introduced a revamped API Console on March 24, 2016, aimed at enhancing the user experience for developers interacting with Google APIs. The new console, accessible at console.developers.google.com, features a cleaner interface with a simplified navigation bar, reducing it to just three main sections: API Manager, Billing, and Permissions. Despite the changes, the Cloud Console at console.cloud.google.com remains unchanged, continuing to house the full suite of Google Cloud Platform services, with resources accessible across both consoles. A notable addition to the API Console is the credentials wizard, designed to streamline the process of creating credentials immediately after enabling an API in a project. Google plans to further refine the API Console based on user feedback to better serve the needs of developers using its APIs.

Android for Work, as discussed by Developer Advocate Laurence Moroney and Product Manager Janice Wong, aims to strike a balance between security for IT administrators and simplicity for users, enhancing smartphones and tablets as business tools. Over recent years, Android has established itself as a dependable enterprise platform, and Wong's role involves expanding its workplace utility while offering users more device choices. She expresses her enthusiasm for workplace productivity, highlighting her contributions to mobile versions of popular enterprise email and calendaring apps. Developers interested in creating business apps can find resources at developer.android.com/work.

Mobile technology has transformed user interactions with businesses, necessitating a shift from desktop strategies to mobile-specific experiences that address users' immediate needs, referred to as "micro-moments." To aid developers in creating superior mobile experiences, Google launched a mobile design hub on Think with Google, featuring comprehensive research conducted in partnership with AnswerLab. This research examined over 100 apps and mobile sites to identify seamless versus frustrating experiences, culminating in two sets of UX principles aimed at improving user engagement and driving conversions. The hub provides resources such as Accelerated Mobile Pages for faster web performance and Google API for app development, alongside design recommendations like Material Design to enhance the aesthetic and functionality of mobile platforms.

Paul Bakaus, a Web Developer Advocate at Google, highlights the importance of using productivity tools in web development that go beyond mastering JavaScript APIs and CSS intricacies. He introduces Udacity's newly launched Web Tooling & Automation course, which aims to provide developers with knowledge and access to productivity-enhancing tools that seasoned developers typically acquire over time. This course is designed for both beginners and experienced developers seeking to update their skills in setting up editors, creating build scripts, performing live editing, and linting, among other optimizations, to boost their daily productivity.

Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is inviting university students to apply for its open source software development program, which offers a unique opportunity to work on open source projects online during the summer. Participants receive a stipend and are paired with mentors who provide guidance and technical support throughout the program. The experience is designed to enhance students' technical skills, confidence, professional networks, and resumes. Interested students can submit their project proposals by March 25, 19:00 UTC, after reviewing 180 available open source projects. To increase their chances of selection, applicants are encouraged to write strong proposals, with additional support available through the Student Manual, Google Open Source Blog, and discussion platforms like Google Summer of Code discussion lists and IRC on Freenode.

Google Play Games, a platform catering to a diverse global gaming community, has introduced a series of new tools and features aimed at helping developers grow their businesses and enhance user engagement. Notable announcements include the introduction of Gamer IDs for personalized gaming personas, a streamlined sign-in process, and upcoming social features like Gamer friends. Google Play also launched the Indie Corner to spotlight games from indie developers. New features in Google Play game services include game parameters management for dynamic updates, a Video Recording API for sharing gameplay, and Predictive Analytics to tailor experiences based on player behavior. To reach the right audience, new ad formats such as Search Trial Run Ads and Portrait Video Ads have been unveiled, alongside Active User Targeting to engage committed players. Additionally, AdMob Mediation now supports rewarded video ads from various networks, providing developers with more monetization opportunities. These initiatives are part of Google's strategy to enhance game development, player engagement, and revenue generation throughout 2016.

Project Tango's presence at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco highlights its advances in augmented reality (AR) gaming, notably with the release of a beta plugin for Unreal by Opaque. Developers like Danielle Swank and Jim Fleming from Barking Mouse Studio, alongside Josh Lee from Floor is Lava, showcase the potential of AR in games such as "World of Orbles," which integrates digital creatures into real-world environments using Tango's features. The developers emphasize the immersive experience Project Tango offers, allowing users to interact with digital elements as if they were physical, enhancing gameplay intuitively. Challenges like creating adaptive pathfinding for dynamic environments were encountered, but solutions such as custom shaders for object visibility were developed. Enthusiasm surrounds the upcoming launch of Lenovo's Project Tango-enabled phone, anticipated to broaden AR's reach and enable new social gaming experiences.

Google announced on March 14, 2016, that it is transitioning its blogs to a new domain, developers.googleblog.com, to make it easier for readers to identify official Google blogs. This change is part of a broader initiative to update all Google blogs over time. While previous URLs will redirect to the new domain, preserving bookmarks and links, Google+ comments on the blogs have been reset due to the domain change. The company encourages readers to continue following their updates on the new platform.

TapBlaze, a successful game app company founded by Anthony Lai, emphasizes the importance of user retention and app polish for effective monetization. Initially, Lai focused on simple virtual simulation games, but to enhance user engagement, he introduced compelling stories, fun challenges, rewards, and multiple levels in games like "Gummy Gush." Despite initially launching quickly with minimal polish, TapBlaze later invested in refining the app's aesthetic, which resulted in a significant increase in average revenue per user. The company also relies on analytics to prioritize improvements, using user feedback to test and implement solutions to enhance the app experience. This approach not only improved user retention but also led to rapid growth and higher revenue, demonstrating the value of a well-designed and user-focused app in a competitive market.

Chrome Music Lab, introduced by Google Creative Lab in March 2016, aims to make learning about music more accessible by leveraging web technology. It consists of a series of interactive experiments that allow users to explore musical concepts using the Web Audio API, an open web standard for creating and manipulating sound directly in a browser. These experiments include tools like drum machines and synthesizers, and some even utilize microphone input via WebRTC, enabling users to incorporate their own voices or ambient sounds. The initiative highlights the open, collaborative nature of the web, utilizing grassroots efforts such as Tone JS, a framework that simplifies building interactive music experiences. Additionally, Google provides open-source code to encourage users to create and share their own music experiments.

Google Now on Tap is an Android feature that enhances user experience by providing contextual information without requiring users to exit their current app, activated by holding the Home button. In a discussion with Paige Dunn-Rankin, a product manager for Now on Tap, it's highlighted how the feature builds on Google Now by offering personalized information based on the user's current screen, utilizing natural language processing to interpret conversation contexts. Demonstrations show that it can provide relevant details like flight times, restaurant reviews, and even create calendar events without explicit user input. Now on Tap operates seamlessly with most apps without necessitating changes, and developers are encouraged to use App Indexing to ensure their apps integrate effectively with the feature.

In a blog post by Saurabh Gupta on the Google Apps Developers Blog, a change to the Mail Service in Google Apps Script was announced, effective September 13, 2016. This change requires users with free public Google Accounts, as well as Google Apps for Education and Google Apps Free edition users, to have Gmail access to send emails using Apps Script's Mail Service. Previously, MailApp's sendEmail method did not require the user to have a Gmail account, unlike the GmailApp's sendEmail method. After the change, users can enable Gmail on their accounts to comply, with Gmail becoming the primary address of their Google account. For administrators of Google Apps domains in Education and Free editions, Gmail can be activated via the Admin console. The update does not necessitate any code changes, allowing continued use of MailApp, provided users sign up for Gmail. Despite the potential disruption, the update was made with careful consideration.

In anticipation of the Google I/O 2016 festival, Mike Pegg, Head of Developer Marketing, reflects on the evolution of Google's developer community since the first gathering in 2006, where a select group of developers engaged with Google's Maps APIs team. The event, set to take place from May 18-20 at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, aims to celebrate the accomplishments of developers worldwide, provide answers to technical queries, and facilitate easier development processes. The return of I/O to its roots after a decade signifies Google's ongoing commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the developer community. Applications for attendance opened on March 8, 2016, and will close on March 10 at 5 PM PST, inviting developers to share their enthusiasm through the #love4dev hashtag.

Google Cast developers can now access detailed analytics directly from the Google Cast Developer Console, offering insights into application usage without the need for self-implemented instrumentation. By logging into the console, developers can view metrics such as the number of devices launching their application, session counts, and average media playback durations. These analytics are organized into tabs for devices, sessions, and playback, featuring interactive graphs and daily data tables. The data can be filtered by country or sender platform and is available in various aggregation ranges, including daily and rolling totals for seven, fourteen, and twenty-eight days. This feature aims to provide developers with valuable insights into application performance and user engagement, enhancing their ability to assess the impact of improvements.

In an interview with Adam Dawes, leader of Google's Federated Identity team, he discusses efforts to enhance user identity experiences through Google Sign-In and the simplification of related APIs. The focus has been on decoupling from Google+ sign-in to streamline the user experience and address the evolving expectations of users regarding the information they provide for signing in. Dawes highlights engineering efforts to reduce cognitive overload using new APIs, with demonstrations through apps like Runkeeper. He explains the implementation of OpenID Connect for simplified authentication with backend servers and addresses the use of Google Sign-In on iOS, utilizing the new Safari View Controller in iOS 9 for compatibility. For more in-depth information, resources are available at developers.google.com/identity.

Ben Greve, a Developer Support Specialist at Google Apps Script, shares five essential design tips to enhance user experience when creating add-ons. He emphasizes the importance of guiding users through a clear workflow to reduce uncertainty and stress, suggesting that actions should be presented in a logical order and highlighted appropriately. Effective communication is crucial, requiring accessible language and timely presentation of information to ensure users understand the add-on's functions and their actions' outcomes. Providing immediate feedback is necessary to prevent users from being confused about whether an action was successful or not, and incorporating elements like loading graphics can enhance user interaction. Safety measures should be implemented to minimize user errors, such as designing actions that add rather than replace data, and offering undo options where feasible. Lastly, simplicity is key, with UI elements serving clear purposes and avoiding overly complex or inconsistent design patterns to maintain focus on the core functionality.

Google Cloud Messaging (GCM) is a robust infrastructure used for distributing messages across multiple devices, including Android, iOS, and web browsers, delivering over 150 billion messages daily. GCM offers various techniques for message delivery, such as targeting single devices with unique registration tokens, grouping multiple devices for unified notifications, and creating subscription-based topics for interest groups without limitations on subscriber numbers. Despite potential connectivity issues influenced by carriers and local settings, GCM maintains a high delivery speed, with 95% of notifications reaching devices within 250 milliseconds. Google continues to enhance GCM, adding features like an API for migrating iOS notification infrastructures to GCM without altering client code, and the InstanceID API for seamless subscription to topics, enabling efficient notification dissemination. Resources are available for developers to build applications using GCM, including a 'GCM Playground' on GitHub and comprehensive guides for Android and iOS development, with promises of ongoing innovations in the platform.