El viernes pasado, y gracias a la iniciativa de María Encinar (@encinar) y Martín Pérez (@mpermar), se llevó a cabo el primer evento para desarrolladores móviles en Galicia: MobileCONGalicia.
Las ponencias fueron de los más variado, tuvimos a:
Eugenio Estrada (@eugenioestrada) un crack de Windows Phone nos metió a todos el gusanillo de desarrollar en WP
Alberto Gimeno (@gimenete), desarrollador iOS nos habló de posibilidades de monetización de apps
Elena Pérez (@ilnuska) experta en interfaces de usuario en @SpartanBits, puso a caldo (con conocimiento de causa) al equipo de diseñadores de Android
Ricardo Varela (@phobeo), experimentado desarrollador curtido en 1000 batallas, habló de APIs móviles
Martín Pérez (@mpermar), nos habló de Tropo, Phono y otras APIs de telefonía dándonos grandes ideas de oportunidades de negocio
Hermes Piqué (@hpique) experimentado desarrollador Android e iOS que nos habló de Unit Testing
Jordi Bonet de Softonic explicó como han reinventado su negocio orientándolo hacia las descargas móviles
Finalmente, Nacho Sanchez nos contó su experiencia empresarial en @InqBarna desarrollando apps
Yo participé con una ponencia sobre Android, y como la entrada al evento eran 25 euros (una ganga por cierto), hice una presentación con mis 25 consejos para los que comienzan a desarrollar; ya sabéis, a euro por consejo:
El evento terminó con un AppCircus del que fuí jurado junto con Miguel Sílva (@MSilvaConstenla de @Blusens, Elena (@Ilnuska) de @SpartanBits y Nacho de @INQBarna. Estas fueron las aplicaciones que se presentaron:
PictoDroid: Excelente aplicación Android para permitir a las aplicaciones con problemas de expresión comunicarse mediante pictogramas
Mussage: Aplicación IOS que permite enviar mensajes con canciones que están en la biblioteca del receptor
Chove: Completo radar de lluvia para españa en Android
Extremadura Rural: Guía offline de alojamientos rurales en Extremadura
ReallyLateBooking: Aplicación IOS y Android para buscar ofertas de hoteles en el mismo día
Binaurality: Método para aprender inglés basado en la escucha binaural para IOS y Android
Bits4Meetings: Iniciativa para proporcionar un sistema de creación de aplicaciones para eventos personalizadas (de los creadores de Ipoki!)
Berokyo: Aplicación iOS que permite organizar en estanterías documentos, contactos y medios digitales, sincronizándolos con DropBox
Obradoiros Abertos: Aplicación que ofrece información geolocalizada de talleres, tiendas y puntos de interés de artesanía gallega.
Absolute Defense: un shot’em up de gran calidad al más puro estilo R-Type
El nivel de las aplicaciones presentadas fué muy bueno. La app ganadora fue ReallyLateBooking, y la finalista Berokyo, esperamos haber sido justos. Mención especial me merece la presentación de Juan Porta de la aplicación Chove!, un tremendo showman más puro estilo gallego, que nos hizo pasar un momento estupendo, pena que no nos dejaran valorar la presentación.
Por si fuera poco y gracias a Blusens, tuvimos una fiesta del evento en una discoteca Santiaguesa, que se adentró en altas horas de la madrugada… Atención al detalle del gorro de Android de @IronSil, y curioso el efecto de “Ojos Blancos” de la cámara del Galaxy Nexus.
This week I assisted to the Google DevFest 2011 Barcelona. This year it was celebrated on a great “garage” located on an industrial area of Barcelona. I will tell the more interesting things that I found on the different sessions:
NEW IN HTML
As usual, this session presented by Paul Kinlan showed us the future of HTML5. I love the x-webkit-speech Chrome feature to make voice inputs that we already could see on the Madrid DevFest 2010. Paul made also some demos of WebIntents a great idea to make something similar to Android intents on the web. Finally we could see that HTML5 is advancing very fast trying to implement many APIS that will make Flash obsolete, like window.navigator.getUserMedia() ot the Web Audio API.
GLSL
This session was presented by Mr. doob aka. Ricardo Cabello, a guy from the demoscene. He made a introduction of how 3D works in the browser and showed us how to use the GLSL language to make great effects on web pages. He has those GLSL demos on his blog.
GOOGLE+ SESSIONS
There were two Google+ sessions driven by Ade Oshineye, one presenting the new social network (also announcing the Google+ Pages) and other with more technical details for developers. One thing that you can do easily is adding the +1 button to your site. Other very interesting tools that we could see were the Google APIs Console and the Google APIs Explorer.
ANDROID SESSIONS
Bruno Oliveira is replacing Reto Meier as our “Android Developer Relations”. On the first session he made a great review of the Android platform evolution since 2.1 to 4.0. On the second session he gave us great tips to improve UX experience on Android. This guy is a showman!
MAKING A BUSSINESS OUT OF APPS
This session was presented by Paul Kinlan and Bruno Oliveira, showing us that monetization tips are valid for both web and Android apps: Lazy registration, try before you buy, easy payment, in-app payments… Bruno also presented the new multilingual ”Guide to the App Galaxy” http://www.guidetotheappgalaxy.com/.
Finally Sam Dutton made a review of the Google Chrome development tools. This tools replaced my FireBug many years ago! He also made his slides available.
APP COMPETITION
This year Google also organized and Appcircus-style app competition. Those were the apps and sites presented:
One of the most tedious thing developing for Android is the lack of an efficient emulator. The bundled Android emulator with the SDK is very, very slow due to that it is emulating an ARM architecture over X86 processors.
So I will propose you a solution based on Android-X86. This is a project that ports Android to the X86 architecture and they recently released the 2.3 RC1 version. With VirtualBox you can create a X86 virtual machine and install Android-X86 on it.
First, install VirtualBox and create a virtual machine with the following specs:
Operating System: Other
512 MB RAM and 5 GB HD (enough)
Bridged Network (easier for the adb connect step)
Emulating a Sound Blaster 16 sound card (trying it as recommendation from Android-X86, but at the moment it doesn’t work for me)
Then download the android-x86-2.3-RC1-eeepc.iso image (see links at the bottom).
When you start VirtualBox by first time it will ask you for a boot CD, select the downloaded image. On start it will let you choose between running Android from the CD or install it on hard disk. Select install to hard disk, create a partition on the virtual disk, and install Android on the partition selecting the “System read write” option. During the installation process, you can create a virtual SD card (of 2GB maximum), the SD card is necessary for many apps to word.
Then you can now start your Android-X86 system (don’t forget to remove the ISO image). By default it will have the ethernet networking configured, you can check it at Settings->Ethernet configuration.
To start developing with this virtual machine, you need to connect it to your computer via adb. Android-X86 includes by default an adb server listening on port 5555. On the virtual machine get your IP address pressing “ALT-<F1>” and typing netcfg (press “ALT-<F7>” to go back to the graphic screen). Then, on your computer type
adb connect <IP>:5555
Replacing <IP> with your virtual machine IP. Now the emulator is connected with adb to your machine and you can run apps on the emulator pressing play on Eclipse or start a shell in the emulator with adb shell…
The Android X86 virtual machine is much faster than the emulator. Take into account that native apps will not work on Android-X86, but Google-TV is also X86 based, so it seems that the X86 platform will be longer supported on the future.
UPDATE: There is also a HoneyComb image at Android-X86 Google Code page that works on VirtualBox but without network (at the moment it does not support Ethernet) so it is not very usable for development.
I released a chess app for the Blusens Web:TV device. This chess app is based on my chess engine Carballo and on the GWT interface by Lukas Laag (http://www.vectomatic.org). I changed some parts of the Lukas interface to make it work on this device:
Control by keyboard
Adapted for remote keys
Many speed optimizations on the chess engine loading
Removed FEN and movable panels (no mouse on the app)
The app is controlled with the remote keys (UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT and OK). With the MODE key you can change the mode (white vs computer, black vs computer…) and with the BLUE circle the thinking time. FORWARD and BACKWARD keys undo/redo moves and with STOP you can start a new game.
You can also test this interface on the web browser:
I used for many years MythTV and XBMC, and as now I own a Blusens WebTV, I will do a feature comparation between this three media centers. I will rate some features from one star (*) to five stars (*****) based on my personal opinion.
MythTV
XMBC
Blusens WebTV
Movie library w/covers and info
no
yes
no (but there is an app to build an HTML interface to your movie library)
Music library w/ covers, artists, genres…
no
yes
no
TV tuner
yes
no
yes (there is a cheaper LITE version without tuner)
PVR & time-shift
yes
no
yes (no on LITE version)
TV and radio streaming to other computers
yes
no
yes (but TS streams, needs a low of BW, probably will not work over your WiFi)
Transcoding (converting between audio/video formats)
yes (on records and streams!)
no
no
Web interface
****
****
****
Interface design
**** (skinnable)
***** (skinnable and has great themes like Aeon, MediaStream…)
*** (not skinnable)
Installable apps
QT plugins (no app store, needs manual install)
Python
HTML & Javascript, Webkit powered
Killer apps
Emulators (MythGame)
Netflix (not on Spain), Emulators (with some work on the Launcher plugin), IMDB queries…
Online Films and Serials from cinetube.es, peliculasyonkis.com…
Web browsing
**
no
**** (Webkit , no Adobe Flash, identified like an iPad)
Ease of setup
*
*** (if installing on a PC, if you buy a Boxee will be *****)
Now I’m using the Blusens WebTV because it’s a silent and small device (much more than my old PC running MythTV/XBMC). I solved the emulators part (that I had working on XBMC) with some Wii homebrew…
Last week I was invited by Miguel Silva Constenla to the Blusens HQ at Santiago de Compostela. Blusens is a Galician consumer electronics manufacturer with worldwide presence.
I had a great expectation because Miguel said that was going to show us their upcoming Android devices. He received us at their administrative office, but soon we went to their I+D facilities.
There I was impressed with a production line where their LED TVs are assembled, he also show us their logistic office (with their famous “Orgy of the Senses” poster), call center, repair center, and engineering offices. Finally we went to their showroom where their upcoming android devices were waiting.
First one is an 7″ Android tablet. This is a cheap low-end Android device with something different: a cover with an integrated keyboard. This keyboard is plugged by USB to the tablet. It will be available in about two months by about 160€.
CONS:
Resistive Touchscreen: Miguel said us that a capacitive touchscreen will increase the price about 50€, but the experience with the touchscreen was quite bad.
Android 2.x: (in the release date is going to be Android 2.3). This low-end devices do not support Honeycomb.
7" Blusens Android Tablet
Lack of Android Market: This device is not certified by Google so it cannot include the Android Market app. The ROM installed on the prototype had the SlideMe market, but I don’t consider it an alternative. The solution is to install manually the Android Market (copying GoogleServicesFramework.apk and Vending.apk from other device to the /system/apps dir), but needs some Android knowledge…
PROS:
160€ is a very low price, I think that this kind of devices are very appropriate for children or for people in countries where people cannot pay 400€ for a computer.
Elegant cover with embedded keyboard: great for fast text input, answering emails on the go, etc… Transforms the tablet in a kind-of-netbook and compensates the bad experience with the touchscreen.
Local repair center and customer support: you can buy a chinese tablet by this price, but you will not have the customer support and repair center in europe.
Blusens Android STB Prototype
The other device is an Android Set-top-box. Blusens has a great experience with their web:tv device and they are investigating to release a similar Android based device. They showed us a prototype running Android 2.2.
This device will include a remote with a complete keyboard and the pointer will work like the WiiMote, pointing with it to the TV. Some optional accessories will be a TV tuner and a webcam.
It seems an aggressive proposal when GoogleTV is not yet on the market, but I think that it’s great to have Android apps on the TV.They also have plans to integrate something similar to this device on their upcoming TV models.
Finally Miguel had a present for us: a Web:TV device! What I like of this device are the continuous firmware updates and HTML apps powered by a Webkit-based browser (ok! media player and PVR are also great features).
Por aclamación popular os cuento los requisitos legales para vender aplicaciones en el Android Market desde España. Me centraré en el caso de vender como trabajador autónomo, que de momento es como estoy facturando en Mobialia.
CONSIDERACIONES SOBRE GOOGLE CHECKOUT
En el Android Market los pagos se hacen a través de la plataforma Google Checkout. Hay que tener en cuenta que a través de Google Checkout tú le vendes directamente a los usuarios, es decir que si te lo pidieran tendrías que emitirle una factura (aunque nunca me pidieron una). En Google Checkout no tenemos facturas, sólo tenemos las órdenes de venta, que son como albaranes.
La entidad gestora de Google Checkout, Google Payment Limited (GPL) es una entidad intermediadora en el pago que no cuenta para nada (bueno sí, para enviarte el dinero).
ALTA EN HACIENDA
Para poder facturar hay que darse de alta en hacienda (modelo 036). Yo me puse en el epígrafe IAE 213 Ingenieros de Telecomunicación, cada caso personal tendréis que estudiarlo. En este formulario también escogí la modalidad de estimación directa simplificada.
ALTA EN SEGURIDAD SOCIAL
También es necesario darse da alta en la Segurida Social como autónomo (modelo TA.0521) escogiendo una base de cotización según la que pagarás una cuota mensual. Yo estoy pagando a la seguridad social 223,92 euros mensuales con la base de cotización mínima. Aunque tengas otro trabajo en el que ya estés cotizando a la seguridad social, este trámite es impepinable.
Teóricamente si tu actividad no se considera “habitual” no tendrías que pagar esta cuota, y según la jurisprudencia vigente la actividad es habitual si generas más que el salario mínimo interprofesional. De todas formas podrías meterte en un lío si no la pagas…
TRÁMITES PERIÓDICOS
Al estar dado de alta con el 036, tenéis la obligación de presentar trimestralmente el formulario 303 de autoliquidación de IVA (pones facturas de compra, facturas de venta y pagas la diferencia de IVA entre las ventas y las compras. Anualmente también hay que presentar el formulario 380 (que es un resumen recapitulativo del IVA).
En la declaración de la renta, en la sección de ingresos por estimación directa, pones los ingresos, gastos, pagos a la seguridad social como autónomo y pagas por los beneficios dependiendo del tramo de renta en el que estés.
IVA DE LAS VENTAS EN ANDROID MARKET
Hay que pagar el 18% por ciento de IVA sobre las ventas que realices en el Android Market dentro de la comunidad económica europea. Llegar a esta conclusión no es sencillo, ya que hay que releerse el artículo 69 de la ley de IVA; estamos en el caso 2 (vendemos a particulares), excepción m. Los servicios prestados por vía electrónica. El párrafo que hay que releerse (el que está entre los números y las letras) es digno de una prueba de comprensión lectora.
Se puede configurar Google Checkout para que les añada el 18% a las ventas de Europa o descontárselo tú luego. Yo se lo tengo añadido a mayores porque así también le aparece desglosado el IVA en la orden de Google Checkout al comprador (en hacienda me dijeron que era mejor así) y también es más fácil sacar los impuestos a pagar desde los CSVs de Google Checkout.
Ojo que si un comprador europeo de vuestra aplicación fuera operador de IVA intracomunitario y os pidiera una factura no podrías cobrarle el IVA y además tendrías que darte de alta el el registro de operadores intracomunitarios de IVA, pero esto es improbable.
FACTURA DE COMPRA A GOOGLE POR LAS COMISIONES DEL 30%
Google no te manda ninguna factura, sólo tienes las órdenes de Google Checkout. Yo trimestralmente introduzco una factura de compra a Google Inc USA pagándole las comisiones que me descuenta de las ventas (30%). Esta factura es exenta de IVA, y Google debería mandármela, pero como no me la manda, me la “invento”, ya que me la está cobrando implícitamente.
FACTURAS DE VENTA A ADMOB
Las facturas de venta a AdMob (de los ingresos que generamos por publicidad) también están exentas de IVA, ya que es USA, no tienen mayor complicación.
FINALMENTE
Cuando facturéis más de 50.000 euros anuales considerad el montar una S.L., que compensa tributariamente hablando ya que pagaríais por impuesto de sociedades en lugar de por tramo de renta.
Recordad que yo no soy un experto fiscal, simplemente os estoy contando mi experiencia, por lo que agradeceré comentarios y correcciones.
This year I was invited to organize a workshop at the Mobile 2.0 Open Ideas event at Barcelona, on 16-17 June. With my experience developing Android apps at Mobialia and the social media integration on Martin Varsavsky’s RadioMe, I proposed the workshop:
Bulding Social Media Enabled Android Apps
This will be a 1-hour workshop In which I’ll provide some examples on how to integrate social media on Android apps, from the simple “Share” button to more complex integrations like using Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook APIs, including logging-in with social media, etc.
I will try to do it interesting for developers and also for app designers who want to add cool social features to their apps. Slides and code samples will be available from the day of the event.
Esta semana invitáronme a participar nun programa da televisión local de Ponteareas (Canal TEA). Falamos un pouco dos fundamentos de Android, das aplicacións de Mobialia, tablets, MiFis etc. Foi unha experiencia moi interesante e a primeira vez que vou a unha canle de Televisión.
This easter we were on London, it was a great experience and I want to share with you some travel tips:
AIRPORT
I arrived to Stansted Airport. Try to get a fligth to Heatrow or Gatwick. Stansted is 1 hour away by bus from London city center.
There are many bus companies from Stansted to London, the cheapest and fastest is Terravision (15£ with return, 14£ if you book online) but National Express (9£ single) has free WiFi.
CURRENCY
There are many currency exchange offices, but the best is to get cash on an ATM with you credit card. If your bank charges a small comission (ING Direct charges only 2.5%), is cheaper than the exchange offices.
BUS & UNDERGROUND
The city is divided into zones, all the city center is zone 1-2. You can get a “Day Travelcard” for zones 1-2 by 6.60£ (cheap compared to the 4£ of a single travel). You can buy it on the automatic machines at the entries of the tube (allows payment with credit card).
This travelcard also allows you to use the city bus on this zones (only showing the card to the driver). A great tip is to get the bus line 11, you will get a sightseeing arround the touristic zones by the price of a Day Travelcard.
CYCLE HIRE
One funny thing that you can do is to hire a bicycle on one of the many points along the city. You can do it with your credit card. First you must pay 1£ for the access to the cycle hire for 24 hours. Then, you get a cycle by obtaining a printed release code from the machine. This code is composed of “1″, “2″ and “3″ digits that you must type on the cycle dock to release it.
When you dock the cycle again the system charges you card with an amount depending of the time that you used the cycle. One hour costs 1£ and the prices lower as you use it more hours. By only 2£ you can get a cycle by one hour.
MUSEUMS
The British Museum and other public museums are free so don’t miss them. Quite curious that you can’t take photos with flash on the underground but the British Museum is full of unconscious tourists taking photos with flash and touching pieces from the ancient Egypt.
WIFI
It’s quite hard to find free WiFis on London, but there are lot of BT-FON spots, my advice is to became a FON member before traveling to London, buy “La Fonera” by only 39€ at http://www.fon.com and share your home ADSL. As a FON member you can use this WiFis for free.
ANDROID
As I cound’t find free WiFis (and at the moment I’m not a FON member), I dindn’t used a lot my phone. As now Google Maps has local cache, try to view maps of London City Center when online, they willl remain cached when offline. I also used the app London Underground Free but is wasn’t much more useful than a printed map.
HOTELS
We were on a Easyhotel room but I can only say that it was cheap. Easyhotel thinks that a “room with window” is an underground room with a window to a corridor without natural light. It’s also quite surprising to make fit a bed and a bathroom on 6m2.
NEW IN HTML
ANDROID SESSIONS
APP COMPETITION
Por aclamación popular os cuento los requisitos legales para vender aplicaciones en el Android Market desde España. Me centraré en el caso de vender como trabajador autónomo, que de momento es como estoy facturando en 
This easter we were on London, it was a great experience and I want to share with you some travel tips: