Alistair and Rhys working alongside each other

Introducing Vectordrawable-Seekable

Using the new and improved AnimatedVectorDrawable to pause and seek your animations.

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Education through motion

Using motion can subtly educate Android users about how objects move and interact with each other

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Podcasting to those without Internet access

Creating a phone number which plays podcasts over the phone from an RSS feed or JSON object

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Firebase App Distribution: Improving our sharing process

We wanted to make sharing our apps with testers easier, Nick explains how we went about it

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What is an Android Spinner?

"What is an Android Spinner?" – A common question with a less than obvious answer. In this article, we look at what an Android Spinner is and where it is used.

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Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Connecting coding and culture

Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Coding and culture

How does Kotlin Multiplatform affect your development culture?

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Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Testing

A how-to guide on writing tests within Kotlin Multiplatform.

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Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Project Structure Strategies

A guide to how should you structure your multiplatform project?

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How to analyse Play Store Reviews in Google Sheets

Play Store Review to spreadsheet automation

Our guide to analysing Play Store Reviews in Google Sheets

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HowTo: Creating a Barcode in Kotlin Android

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Mockk.io - our new mocking framework

What is mockk.io and why have we adopted it in our team?

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Google PlayStore internal app sharing

We set out to start deploying apps to internal app sharing within our CI system.

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Google PlayStore automated deployment with AAB

Updating our deployment scripts to use Android App Bundles

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Android Threads & Coroutines for Beginners

What is threading? Why is it important for Android? And where does Kotlin fit in?

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Flutter - is this the answer?

Could Google's cross-platform solution solve all our problems?

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How To Create a Dashboard on Android TV

We recently re-launched our dashboard on Android TV with some great results.

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Material Theme Editor Colours featured Image

Adding Colours to a Sketch Material Theme Library

The Material Theme Editor for Sketch is game-changing, but sometimes two colours aren't enough.

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Handling International Addresses in Android

How to structure your data to handle different address formats from around the world.

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Cross-platform vs native app development?

At Brightec, we’re specialists in native mobile apps. But is there ever a place for the cross-platform frameworks offered by the likes of React Native or Xamarin?

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Google PlayStore and automated deployment

We recently set out to automatically deploy an apk to the PlayStore to speed up our distribution process.

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Creating a Selectable Cluster Map

We explored using Google Maps to create a map with selectable markers that cluster together.

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Enterprise Mobile App Development: 5 ways to plan for success

We offer insights into key issues to consider in the early stages of enterprise mobile app development.

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Android Development and ConnectivityDataLive

ConnectivityLiveData

Our Android development team look at using Android Architecture Components to provide an observable interface to our connectivity status.

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Extending the ListAdapter with a header view

For all Android app developers tackling the issue of scrolling, read on...

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Creating Vector Drawables for Android

We've been busy creating vector drawables for Android using Sketch.

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How a mobile app developer writes an API 1

Writing an API - a mobile developer story

This in-depth blog series offers a step-by-step guide for mobile development teams.

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Three tricks for working with Google App Engine

Using Google App Engine and looking for some useful tips? Then read on...

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Scaling on Google App Engine

On a recent mobile app project using Google Cloud Platform, we had issues with instances not scaling as expected. So we took a closer look to understand what was happening.

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User Authentication for Cloud SQL

When using Cloud SQL for databasing on a project, we needed a solution to ensure the right people could access the right information.

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How to set up Cloud SQL in Java Brightec illustration

Setting up Cloud SQL in Java

Are you setting up Cloud SQL within a Java project using Android Studio? Read on - and hopefully we can point you in the right direction!

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Firebase Test Lab on CircleCI

Following Apple’s purchase of Buddybuild, and their decision to drop support for Android projects, we've been looking for an alternative CI platform for our Android projects.

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How Brightec mobile app developers use Google Cloud Endpoints 1

Using Google Cloud Endpoints

APIs need protecting - when we were recently using Google App Engine we explored Google Cloud Endpoints and utilised them to improve the security.

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Queued tasks on App Engine for Firebase

We’ve recently been exploring Google App Engine with Firebase. Here’s how we queued tasks between them.

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Brightec discuss Firebase Cloud Functions 1

Trigger Firebase Cloud Functions

How do you trigger Firebase Cloud Functions when a file gets uploaded? We recently needed to take regularly updated text files and read them into a database. Here’s how we used Firebase to do it.

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Firebase Database explained

Struggling to understand Firebase Database? Here is our explanation from an SQL perspective

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Android O brings new features to Notifications

Notifications pose a tricky challenge for developers. Discover the extra tools Android O gives us to help.

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Kotlin is here. So what?

All about the new programming language - Kotlin. It’s features, strengths, and weaknesses.

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Code snippets in Espresso

A few snippets from Espresso - the automated testing framework for Android

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May 2017 - Which devices and versions of iOS are most popular?

Each month we take a brief look at the devices and versions of iOS and Android which are currently in use.

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PIN protection for your app using LolliPin

How to setup LolliPin pin protection to keep your apps secure

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Why you should care whether your app was built using Google Firebase

Are you looking for a Rolls-Royce, tried and tested solution for your app? Does Google Firebase provide that and, if so, should you care?

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Working with Layer Messaging

Some hints and tips for working with Layer - the messaging service provider.

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Google Pixel Event

At the most recent Google event, they showed off their future vision (plus their iPhone killer).

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Brightec developed iOS camera that replicates system camera app 1

How to get your notifications noticed (on Android)

Notifications must be utilised with wisdom and cunning. Here's how to do it on Android

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Distributing your Library using JCenter

Rate The App - Part Three: Distributing your Library using JCenter

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Google I/O 2016

Take a more detailed look at our reflections on Google IO 2016.

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Android Pay arrives in the UK

Android Pay is finally here in the UK. Here's what we make of it.

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Open source your Android Library

Rate The App - Part Two: Making your Android Library Open Source

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Creating an Android Library

Rate The App - Part One: The story of creating an Android Library.

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Android Marshmallow and SimpleDateFormat

Android Marshmallow and a breaking change with SimpleDateFormat

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Building Apps for Android TV

Our advice on designing and building apps for Android TV.

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Top tips for Android TV development

Our top tips for developing Android (& Amazon Fire) TV apps.

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Android animations

A few solutions for easily executing Android animations

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Google Developer Day for Agencies

We attended an invite-only Developers Day hosted by Google.

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Communicating between two devices using WebSockets

How we used WebSockets to enable two devices to communicate with each other.

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Information for the Google Play Store

Your app is designed, developed and ready to go. What next? Time for the app stores.

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Android Studio Improvements

What can we expect to find in the upcoming (and ongoing) improvements to Android Studio?

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Calling RESTful APIs with Retrofit

How to call RESTful APIs with Retrofit (in just 3 steps)

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Some quick thoughts from Google I/O 2015

Last week we hosted a Brighton Mobile Developers Meetup for the Google I/O 2015. Here are some of our initial thoughts:

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Best practice in app tracking

App tracking (analytics) holds obvious benefits to developers and their clients but it can be fraught with difficulty. How much and what tracking is needed? What is ‘best practice’ for tracking?

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7 difficulties of internationalisation & localisation

Seven of the most difficult aspects of internationalisation and localisation.

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Simple Android network requests

Chris explores how we set up network requests for Android

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Android Multi-Builds

Building Android projects automatically against multiple APIs

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Branching Strategy

This is the final post in the series - ‘Evolving the Dev Process’.

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Thoughts on Google IO 2014

Google IO is their annual developer conference here are our thoughts.

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Simple multi pane in Android - Pt 2

In the second part of this article we look at how to add interactions to the split screen layout

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Simple multi pane in Android - Pt 1

A good way to utilise the space on tablet devices is to use multi-pane (split) layouts to present different parts of the app on one screen.

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Slow Android emulator?

When developing for Google Android it is important to test your apps properly on multiple devices.

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Android ListView with an alphabet scroller

When presenting data in a ListView it may be helpful to have a scroller down the side to allow users to quickly jump to a specific letter.

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App downloads: Apple versus Google

We wanted to find out which platform has the most number of app download?

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Why build a native mobile app over an HTML5 web app?

This is a question we have been asked many times over the years and doesn’t seem to be going away.

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Custom Android media controller

This post will explain the process that we went through and a sample project to help you build your own media controls.

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Fierce battle between iOS and Android in the UK

Apple and Google are, without doubt, two of the most powerful brands competing for the loyalty of UK consumers today.

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iPhone vs Android in the UK

A recent study concluded that nearly half of smartphones sold in the UK are Android devices

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Android•

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Older Posts

Introducing Vectordrawable-Seekable

Education through motion

Podcasting to those without Internet access

Firebase App Distribution: Improving our sharing process

What is an Android Spinner?

Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Coding and culture

Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Testing

Kotlin Multiplatform Android/iOS: Project Structure Strategies

Play Store Review to spreadsheet automation

HowTo: Creating a Barcode in Kotlin Android

Mockk.io - our new mocking framework

Google PlayStore internal app sharing

Google PlayStore automated deployment with AAB

Android Threads & Coroutines for Beginners

Flutter - is this the answer?

How To Create a Dashboard on Android TV

Adding Colours to a Sketch Material Theme Library

Handling International Addresses in Android

Cross-platform vs native app development?

Google PlayStore and automated deployment

Creating a Selectable Cluster Map

Enterprise Mobile App Development: 5 ways to plan for success

ConnectivityLiveData

Extending the ListAdapter with a header view

Creating Vector Drawables for Android

Writing an API - a mobile developer story

Three tricks for working with Google App Engine

Scaling on Google App Engine

User Authentication for Cloud SQL

Setting up Cloud SQL in Java

Firebase Test Lab on CircleCI

Using Google Cloud Endpoints

Queued tasks on App Engine for Firebase

Trigger Firebase Cloud Functions

Firebase Database explained

Android O brings new features to Notifications

Kotlin is here. So what?

Code snippets in Espresso

May 2017 - Which devices and versions of iOS are most popular?

PIN protection for your app using LolliPin

Why you should care whether your app was built using Google Firebase

Working with Layer Messaging

Google Pixel Event

How to get your notifications noticed (on Android)

Distributing your Library using JCenter

Google I/O 2016

Android Pay arrives in the UK

Open source your Android Library

Creating an Android Library

Android Marshmallow and SimpleDateFormat

Building Apps for Android TV

Top tips for Android TV development

Android animations

Google Developer Day for Agencies

Communicating between two devices using WebSockets

Information for the Google Play Store

Android Studio Improvements

Calling RESTful APIs with Retrofit

Some quick thoughts from Google I/O 2015

Best practice in app tracking

7 difficulties of internationalisation & localisation

Simple Android network requests

Android Multi-Builds

Branching Strategy

Thoughts on Google IO 2014

Simple multi pane in Android - Pt 2

Simple multi pane in Android - Pt 1

Slow Android emulator?

Android ListView with an alphabet scroller

App downloads: Apple versus Google

Why build a native mobile app over an HTML5 web app?

Custom Android media controller

Fierce battle between iOS and Android in the UK

iPhone vs Android in the UK

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