Android App and Game Development - Scope, Approaches and Features

Android App and Game Development - Scope, Approaches and Features
Android is spreading fast, more and more mobile manufacturers today are considering using it in their latest mobile phones. Android application development is thus gaining momentum. It is an open source mobile operating system used to develop applications to help customers satisfy their requirements. Android mobile application development can also be customized to meet varying customer needs. Android game development is used to develop out of the box games which would thrill all its players.
Better applications and games can be developed by hiring Android app development and Android game development services. No doubt Android development is a difficult process, and involves lot of complications, however whether a company will be able to successfully complete your project or not will depend on its approach to it. Most of the Android app development companies follow the below mentioned approach in their work:
Approach 1 - Agile Development: Entire project is further divided into small parts considering its scope and requirements. Small parts go through the entire application development life cycle ensuring that it is developed as desired. Overall project risks can be avoided using this method.
Approach 2 - Waterfall Method: This method is followed when Android application development or game development requirements are static and do not change during the entire life cycle.
Approach 3 - Extreme Coding: It is done when project requirements are dynamic and change frequently. This process helps in maintaining software quality and allows company to take necessary steps as needed with every change in client needs.
Approach 4 - Rapid Action Development: When an Android development project needs to be completed urgently then rapid action development is followed. It helps companies to meet the urgent project deadlines without spending time for pre planning.
When a company follows any or all of the above approaches to Android application development it is likely that it will have a solution to all its project requirements. It will be able to provide a solution to all clients considering both their project needs and the time constraint. But what features make a good application or game? Here are some of the features to help you decide as to which features make for a good Android application or game:


Ability to speedily collect and dispatch information as per the action

Tools which are simple to use

Web kit engine integration based browser

Memory usage and battery consumption

Rich internet application development usage

Support for various multimedia formats for voice, video and image

Easily adaptable to changing environment


To ensure that an application or game has majority of features as mentioned above, most of the Android developers use Android SDK for Android app development and Android game development.

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How to Look for the Best Android Apps and Games

How to Look for the Best Android Apps and Games
After purchasing a new Android device, whether it is a tablet or a smartphone, we then turn to the marketplace in search of the best Android games and apps. There are numerous on-line directories available that have very comprehensive lists, some better than others. Generally these lists are divided into sections, for instance, the most popular, the hottest, the top rated, plus there are also lots of reviews to browse through for the best Android games and the best Android apps.
For those who are after Android applications, there are screenshots and quite often short videos illustrating how these apps or games work. These can be found in the arcade and action section and if you are looking for the best Android apps, these can be used for productivity, communication or entertainment purposes. Many other categories are available, from where you can choose applications or games that fulfill your needs.
Of course there are large numbers of new games and apps coming out into the marketplace every day. Some of these are free and for some, there is a small charge. The best Android games or apps can be either, if a game or app is free it does not imply any lesser quality, in many instances the opposite can be true. Most of the free apps have ads displayed and are they are usually unobtrusive, but sometimes, ads can be really annoying by blocking important content from the game or because they are placed in a position where you can touch accidentally.
Almost every Android application list website lets you subscribe to the RSS feed to get the latest updates so you'll be the first who knows when a new app is available. Each application has a detailed description, from ratings and comments to required system permissions, screenshots or a direct QR bar code or market link for direct downloading from your phone.
As well as finding internet reviews for the best games and apps, quite often we will find out about a game or an app from a friend or colleague. Personal recommendations or reviews are always highly influential. Different groups and ages of people will be interested in different things, but there are enough of the best games and apps out there, to meet everyone's needs.
If one particular app or game does not suit or does not perform as expected, it's a simple process, just like programs on a laptop, to delete the game or app from one's device. Android OS is designed in such ways that require minimal resources on the device, so it is possible to have numerous games and apps running on the one device.

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Security Tools for Android Mobile

Security Tools for Android Mobile
Dependency over mobile is increasing in our life. We store hundreds of valuable personal and professional data on mobile phones. There is a big concern between users related to security of data from getting into wrong hand. No one likes that his or her phone gets lost or stolen. There are many security applications for Smartphone which give you peace of mind from security threat. I am going to show you some of the popular security app for Android phone.
Lookout:
Lookout application is a complete security package for Android Phone. It gives you antivirus, firewall and intrusion prevention services. This application is very light. If your phone is lost or stolen simply login into the web interface and you can easily track down the location of your phone on map. You can also take back-up of all your Phone data remotely.
WaveSecure:
WaveSecure is very useful Android security application similar to Lookout. If in case you loose your phone you can lock down you mobile and it become useless for others. Mobile tracking facility like Lookout is also available in it. You can also take back-up of phone data remotely using web interface. One big feature which is not available in Lookout is you can also wipe all your data from phone remotely.
Protector:
Protector is also Android security Application but it is quite different from Lookout and WaveSecure. It protects your mobile using password. Even you can also lock your app or any specific feature of our mobile application under password protection. Your mobile application will get completely protected and even to uninstall it you require pin code. It security feature is useful for many users.
A big drawback with these security apps is that there is no option for recover pin. If you lost or forget your pin code then you will find yourself in a big problem. So make sure you do not lose your pin code.

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Best Free Android Games to Download

Best Free Android Games to Download
Angry Birds game has created quite a hype in Android gaming scene. The game has been downloaded in record numbers and become one of the most successful and entertaining games on smartphones. It would not be an overestimation to say Angry Birds fully unleashed the gaming potential of Android and led people to asking the following question. What other free Android games are fun? Here is a list of alternatives to Angry Birds:
Angry Birds Seasons: If you enjoy Angry Birds, then this is a no-brainer. Featuring many new levels, and updated with snow-filled winter theme, and Valentine's Day content, Angry Birds Seasons is guaranteed to entertain you as much as, if not more than, the original game.
Paper Toss: If you worked at an office before, you know the "aim" of this game. Go ahead and throw that paper ball into the trash bin. It comes with different difficulty levels and don't forget to take into consideration the fan which blows from varying angles to make the shot harder for you. Overall, it's a great game that will keep you busy for hours.
Bubble Buster: In order to clear up the area, you have to form a group of 3 bubbles (or more if you can), and knock them down. As you advance in the game, it gets harder wich makes the game more challenging
Live Hold'em Poker: An addictive and fun poker game featuring live chat, avatars, tournament modes, Facebook connect, lottery draw and much more. Probably the best Android Texas Hold'em Poker game out there, its audience is not just pros but beginners as well. You can be a part of the biggest poker community on Android and play millions of real people.
Unblock Me Free: Another addictive puzzle game for Android. It might be simple but that doesn't mean it's easy. You have to get the red box out of the board by pushing the other boxes aside. Featuring 1200 puzzles, Unblock Me Free means hours of gaming on your Android smartphone.
Looking for more games, or a more comprehensive list of free Android games to download?

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HTC Hero Android Phone

HTC Hero Android Phone
The HTC Hero, which is also known as the T-Mobile G2 touch in the UK, Germany, Austria, Croatia, The Netherlands, and Hungary, is known as the Era G2 Touch in Poland. It is a part of the A series Android phone manufactured by HTC Corporation. It is HTC's third handset to be powered by the android operating system. The HTC Hero has the signature curve at the lower end and has a sleek and stylish body that measures 4.4 inch in length, 2.2 inch in breadth and 0.5 inch in width. Moreover, it features a 3.2 inch HVGA (Half Video Graphics Array) touch screen with an anti fingerprint screen coating. However, the highlight of the phone lies underneath all this beauty.
The new Sense UI technology allows the customization of the device according to the customer's needs and gives them more access to all the information at a glance via features like customized profiles, condensed view of all communications with a specific contact whether in the form of e-mail or text messages or multimedia messages, Facebook status updates and so on.
Other significant focal points of the smartphone is the GPS, a digital compass, gravity sensor, a 5 megapixel camera, a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD expansion slot. It also has a search button committed to allow more contextual search that not only includes looking through the contact lists or emails but also Twitter and other areas of the device. It is available in seven different color styles including black, white, yellow, pink, gold, red and turquoise. The web browser includes Flash support and multi-touch. E-mail support includes IMAP4, POP3 and Microsoft Exchange Server.
Other specifications of this android phone include:
- Screen resolution: 320 x 480
- Input devices: Multi-touch Touchscreen with lipophobic coating, trackball
- GSM Version has teflon phone cover (White); CDMA Version has grey-rubber cover
- Battery: 1350 mAh (GSM edition); 1500 mAh (CDMA edition)
- Talk time: 470 minutes to 420 minutes
- Standby time: 440 hours to 750 hours
- Qualcomm MSM 7200A 528 MHz ARM processor
- RAM: 288 MB
- ROM: 512 MB
- Operating system: Android 1.5 and HTC Sense
- Wi-Fi (802.11b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR & A2DP
- HTC ExtUSB (Mini-B USB backwards compatible)
- Accelerometer
- Supports MP3, AAC(AAC, AAC+, AAC-LC), AMR-NB, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, MIDI and Windows Media Audio 9 music formats and MPEG-4, H.263, H.264 and Windows Media Video 9 video formats
Amongst the android phone's applications, we have Sherpa that allows you to get suggestions on activities and events on the basis of your current location. The application keeps a record of your tastes and preferences and notifies you accordingly. Shop Savvy is yet another application. It provides a unique shopping and price comparison assistance. When your Hero camera is focused on any barcode it pulls up the best prices and available stocks in your current location and online. All you have to do is point your camera to the barcode and follow the instructions and an immediate product and price list is at your discretion. Locale is an application that lets you configure the settings of your mobile as per the location you are in.
It can change your ringtone when you enter your office premises and immediately change it into the informal ones once you are out of the office. Similarly, features like ringer volume, GPS radio and various other features can be customized. Aloqa is another application that scans your  local area and gives you prompt information on the happening events and programs in your locality like parties, launching restaurants and so on. It acts like your interactive pocket directory. You also have a Splash Play which is virtual guitar interface. Lets you experiment your musical skills at your own will. Cardio Trainer, as the name suggest, is a health and fitness application for your HTC. It gives you information on all your fitness related parameters. Other applications also available are Pandora, which is a music streaming application and Mobile Defense Android, which helps you trace your mobile in instances of lost phones.

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Introduction to Cash Poker Games

Introduction to Cash Poker Games
Most people don't know how easy it is to start playing cash poker games online. It takes a matter of minutes to register an online poker account and fund your account using one of the many deposit options available to players from around the world. Once you've funded your account with money you can sit down and begin playing poker games immediately.
The majority of poker sites offer a wide range of stakes ranging from $.01/$.02 all the way up to $50/$100. A few of the larger poker sites offer tables for high stake players including PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker. The majority of players won't need to worry about the high stake tables though, thus giving you dozens of options when it comes to choosing a poker room. You want to make sure that you join a poker site that can fill up cash game tables quickly, so that you don't need to wait very long.
When you're playing cash games most sites allow you to view your stats for your current session. You'll be able to view how many hands you've played and with some poker sites you'll even have a breakdown of how many hands you've played in a certain position on the table. You can also check out hand histories with most sites nowadays, which will allow you the opportunity to go back and check out how a hand was played.
When you sit down at a table to begin playing the first thing you need to do is decide how many chips you want to bring to the table with you. When it's your turn to act you'll notice several buttons popping up at the bottom of the screen allowing you to check, bet, raise or fold depending on the situation. Cash games are where the majority of professional poker players made their money and if you're looking to make the most money then you need to try playing cash games.

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Online Poker Tips - Winning Tips For Your Online Poker

Online Poker Tips - Winning Tips For Your Online Poker
Online poker has become increasingly popular nowadays. More people are going online to play poker rather than going to a casino. In the past, people always went to the casino and play. Today, you can play poker in the comfort of your room as long as you have a computer and internet connection.
Online poker is very different from traditional poker. When playing poker online, you can't see the facial expression of the players around you and this will prevent you from knowing whether they are using bluffs. Online poker also has many advantages when compared to traditional poker. You do not need to travel to casinos to play poker. You can play it inside your bedroom and at anytime you want.
Now, let me share with you a few tips to help you win in online poker:
As I mentioned earlier on, you cannot observe the body language and facial expression of your opponents in online poker. Don't worry. There are still some tells that will give you clues about the quality of your opponent hands. One example is to look at how long your opponents take to play their cards. When a player has a good card, he or she will play it fast and aggressive.
Next, make sure that you read the tutorials or other kinds of courses that are offered by online poker rooms. Usually, those poker rooms have forums that you can join to interact with other poker enthusiast. Participate in their discussions and try to make some friends there. By doing this, you can gain new insights about the game.
Once you have a basic understanding about online poker, play it often if you want to be good at it. Some poker rooms allow you to play with free credits. This is a great opportunity for you to practice and get used to playing poker online.
Another thing you should take note is that online poker has different rules from casino poker. So before you play with real money online, make sure you understand the rules and regulations of the poker room completely first.
Lastly, you should look at a few websites first before deciding to join a particular poker room. Different poker rooms offer different sign-up bonuses and freebies. So make sure that you do a thorough research first before deciding on one to join.
Good luck with playing poker online. Remember, read their tutorials and play the game often in order to become a better poker player online.

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Why We Should All Learn Poker

Why We Should All Learn Poker
Ten years ago if you asked any professional poker player, "Do you think there will ever be a time that you can play poker online for millions of dollars?" their answer would almost certainly be not a chance. However, thanks to the "Moneymaker boom" after the 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event and the rise of internet gaming, that is exactly the spot we find ourselves at today.
Learning poker is one thing that numerous people worldwide are attempting to do at all different varying levels. Some people are learning poker to have fun with their friends, some are learning for something to do, some are learning as another way to compete, and some are even learning poker with the hopes of turning it into a full-time career. Whatever the reason you are wishing to learn, we will definitely be able to assist you in doing so!
The topic of learning poker definitely covers a very broad area of information. Perhaps you are looking for the best starting hands in No Limit Holdem ranked from top to bottom. Maybe you want to learn how to play Pot Limit Omaha. Do you know what the best hand in poker is? How much does your verbal action count? What are the rules of each variation of poker?
Who better to learn from than professional poker players that are consistently destroying the competition both live and online? The chance to study under and be taught by the game's best players is an opportunity that seems foolish to pass up.
Today there are numerous training websites that you can visit to learn from a slew of professionals. Unfortunately, a high percentage of them go out and sign tons and tons of pros, then charge you very high subscription rates compared to the benefit that you actually receive from being a member. If interested, I encourage you to check out a few of these sites. For example, visit Poker Training by BlueFirePoker to see what it is like to be taught by online poker sensation Phil Galfond (aka OMGClayAiken and Jman28).
The rules, tips, strategies, ideas, and instructions that you will receive from Learn Poker HQ will teach you the game and set you up for success in both live and online poker.
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
-Harry S. Truman

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An Overview of Online Poker Tournaments

An Overview of Online Poker Tournaments
In online poker tournaments,  both experienced and beginner poker players have an equal opportunity to play against one another. There are many poker sites that offer a wide range of poker tourneys to choose from. Many poker tournaments require an entry fee from the players while others don't require any entry fees in order to join in. The players compete for player points, or to win a seat to bigger events and even cash prizes.
Multi-table poker tourneys are the most popular type of internet poker tournaments where players start with a fixed number of chips in an effort to eliminate one another at the table by winning the most hands. As tables get vacant seats, other players join in to keep those tables full. This process continues until the remaining few outlasted players end up at the final table.
There is also a special type of a multi-table tourney that's known as the "shootout" where players remain playing at their tables until only one player is left standing. The winner is play against other winners on the other tables.
There are many things that you must consider while playing in internet poker tourneys. For example, if you are playing to win, you need to play the best of your game as many of your opponents would be experienced players who play poker online for a living. You should look out the types of poker tourneys you are joining into.
If you are a beginner, there are many beginner tourneys available that you can join in order to improve your game skills. If you are newbie, then you should join in the smaller tournaments and gradually go up the ranks by joining into the next level of poker tourneys available. When you have got enough experience and learnt winning strategies as well, only then you should move for the bigger tournaments.

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No Limit Texas Hold Em: Paying Attention!

No Limit Texas Hold Em: Paying Attention!
As I watch online poker players play, I think something that happens from time to time is that many players play below a level that makes them play optimal poker. By this I mean, with smaller dollar games, especially Sit n Go's some players are afflicted with what I call an "oh what the hell" attitude. In other words, they find themselves making calls or playing hands that they shouldn't play,simply because "its only a couple of bucks" When you do this, you do a dis-service to your poker game and you don't learn how to become a better player.
First of all, this is going to get into the issue of bank-roll. Every player has a different amount of money that they want to spend playing poker. Some players are not comfortable spending hundreds of dollars. Some would never dream of putting thousands into an online account. Others still would not play with out a certain level of bank roll to back them up. What your poker budget is, is totally up to you. However, if it is small, I do think there comes a point where you are not playing good, sound, poker because you don't have much invested.
The SNG (Sit n Go) which is a favorite format of mine, is a great example of this. I see players all the time in these games calling all-ins with J-T suited or pocket 5's. I am not talking about late in the game on the bubble either. IA� am talking about early on. I think the fact that another SNG is so readily available makes it very easy to just say "what the hell" I will call with this hand and see if I can't double up. Sometimes it happens and that player moves on. If he busts out, he simply finds another SNG that will be starting within a couple of minutes.
The problem with this attitude is obvious: if you play this way you will never improve. If you don't care about the money that you have spent to enter the tournament, you will not concentrate enough to play your best game. I know some players who play their best even in free games. However, I think they are the exception to the rule. Most of the players I see in lower level games are really not taking the poker seriously.
How do you avoid this? My suggestion would be to move up in dollar amounts until it matters to you. Again, this is probably dependent on your bank-roll and you cannot move up so high that your bank-roll is decimated after a couple of bad streaks of luck, but you have to play at a level that brings out your best efforts.
If you have been playing $10+$1 games, maybe going to a $22+$2 game would do it. If you are at $50+$5, maybe going to a $69+$6 or a $100+$9 game would do the trick. It is all up to the individual, but I would bet if you were to be truly honest with yourself you would find yourself playing better poker, concentrating more, and paying better attention to the action around you, if you move up to a higher game.
Again, only you truly know where your comfort level lies, but I would guess that if you find yourself busting out of SNG's early on or making calls where you say to yourself immediately afterward "did I really just do that?", chances are you could benefit by moving your game up to a higher buy-in level that really makes you pay attention. Try it, you might find yourself becoming a better poker player before you know it.

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