Monthly Archives: November 2016

Updated Udacity Android course prepares students for the Associate Android Developer Certification

Originally posted on Android Developers Blog

Posted by Jocelyn Becker, Senior Program Manager, Android Training

As one of our most popular Udacity courses, the Developing Android Appscourse was recently updated to ensure developers have the resources to build high quality apps. This course, which has already helped more than half a million developers learn to build Android apps, has been through the car wash and come out sparkling clean and updated.

Google and Udacity have worked together to update the course to include the very latest changes in Android and Android Studio, including how to use the new Constraint Layout editor, and how to use Firebase Job Dispatcher. Learn best practices for building Android apps using Android 7.0 (Nougat) while keeping your apps backwards compatible in older versions, learning at your own pace in your own time.

You sent us feedback that some of the lessons were a little difficult to get through, so we've restructured the lessons and added smaller apps for you to build as you progress through the course. So not only will you build the Sunshine weather app as a complete, integrated application that spans the entire course, but you'll also create an app in each lesson to help you learn individual concepts.

Build a To Do app and add new tasks as you learn how to build a ContentProvider.

This course brings back Android experts Dan Galpin and Reto Meier from Google, and Lyla Fujiwara from Udacity, and introduces new faces from Google and Udacity.

Start learning now at https://www.udacity.com/course/ud851.

Combined package for Developing Android Apps course and Associate Android Developer Certification

This updated course teaches the skills that are tested by the Associate Android Developer certification exam. Udacity is offering a package that combines the updated Developing Android Apps course with a voucher for the Associate Android Developer certification exam. If you pass this exam, you will earn the Associate Android Developer Certification and show that you are competent and skilled in tasks that an entry-level Android developer typically performs. Enroll in Udacity's Fast Track to get prepared and take the Associate Android developer exam at: https://www.udacity.com/course/nd818.

Dev Channel Update for Chrome OS

The Dev channel has been updated to 56.0.2924.9 (Platform version: 9000.10.0) for most Chrome OS devices. This build contains a number of bug fixes, security updates and feature enhancements. A list of changes can be found here.

If you find new issues, please let us know by visiting our forum or filing a bug. Interested in switching channels? Find out how. You can submit feedback using ‘Report an issue...’ in the Chrome menu (3 vertical dots in the upper right corner of the browser).

Grace Kihumba
Google Chrome

Customize your G Suite experience with App Maker and Recommended apps

(Cross-posted from The Keyword) 

Posted by Elissa Murphy, Vice President of Engineering, G Suite

G Suite is designed to help you do your best work, whether that’s through real-time collaboration that brings your teams together or machine intelligence that speeds up everyday tasks. But we understand your company has unique needs and workflows that G Suite alone wasn’t built to address. We also know your teams rely on many third-party apps for things like CRM, support, and project management to get their job done. So today, we’re announcing two new ways to customize and extend your experience on the G Suite platform: App Maker, a new low-code developer tool for building custom enterprise applications, and the addition of seven new partners to our “Recommended for G Suite” third-party partner program.

Introducing App Maker, a new way to build powerful apps for your business. 
App Maker is a low-code, application development tool that lets you quickly build and deploy custom apps tailored to your organization’s needs. Whether you’re looking for better ways to onboard new team members, staff projects, or approve employee travel requests, App Maker helps you build an app for that in days instead of months.

  • Go from idea to app, fast: App Maker makes it easy for IT or even citizen developers (including analysts and system administrators) to quickly iterate from a prototype all the way to deployed app. It offers a powerful cloud-based IDE that features built-in templates, a drag-and-drop UI, and point-and-click data modeling to accelerate your app development efforts. App Maker also embraces open, and popular standards like HTML, CSS, Javascript and Google’s material design visual framework, so developers can build apps quickly, in a development environment that leverages their existing skills and knowledge. 
  • Build integrated, tailor-made solutions for every need: App Maker lets you build a range of applications customized to meet the needs of your organization and connects to a wide range of data sources and APIs. This unique flexibility starts with built-in support for G Suite products as well as popular services such as Maps, Contacts, Groups and more. You can also leverage other Google Cloud services such as the Directory API and Prediction API, or third-party APIs, to create richer, more intelligent application experiences.
  • Focus on delivery, not infrastructure: App Maker is built on the same secure and trusted infrastructure as G Suite apps like Gmail, Drive and Docs. Developers can safely deploy custom apps in the cloud without worrying about servers, capacity planning, infrastructure security and monitoring that would otherwise require internal support from IT. 
Over the past few months, we’ve previewed App Maker with a handful of large G Suite customers and many have already built and deployed applications to their organizations. We’re also working with the following consulting partners to help deliver solutions to our joint customers: Appsbroker, gPartner, G-Workplace, Ignite Synergy, Maven Wave, PwC, SADA Systems, and Tempus Nova.

Here are a few ways that enterprise customers and partners have used App Maker to make everyday business processes simpler and more efficient--whether it’s to track suspicious login activities, take analog claims processes and make them digital, or track office inventory orders.


If you’re interested in trying out App Maker, it’s available today through our Early Adopter Program for G Suite Business customers. Apply for the EAP here.

Announcing new apps for the ‘Recommended for G Suite’ program
While G Suite helps your teams communicate and collaborate more easily, we get that you also rely on third-party apps to manage other aspects of your business including sales, marketing, and operations. We want to make it easy for you to integrate these solutions with G Suite, and that’s why we introduced the Recommended for G Suite program last year. The program selects market leading applications, built by independent software vendors (ISVs), in a range of categories like project management, customer support, finance and accounting.

Today, we’re adding seven new apps to the program that can help you be more productive. These apps solve critical business problems and offer deep integration and direct support with G Suite. Each app also goes through rigorous security testing and quality measures to qualify for the Recommended for G Suite program.

Our new recommended partners include:


Since we launched this program with our first eight apps last year, we’ve seen many examples of how our customers have incorporated them with G Suite to drive more value for their business. We’ve created a webinar series to show first-hand examples of this, and you can sign up here if you’re interested in attending. In addition, if you’re an ISV that’s interested in becoming a Recommended for G Suite partner, please submit your application here.

Try these new solutions today
We’re committed to helping you get the most out of your G Suite experience by fostering the best ecosystem of cloud applications and partners. App Maker enables you to build powerful apps tailored to your organizational needs, while the Recommended for G Suite program helps your teams select leading apps to grow your business. Both solutions are available today, and we encourage you to try them out.


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Generating slides from spreadsheet data

Originally posted on G Suite Developers Blog

Posted by Wesley Chun (@wescpy), Developer Advocate, G Suite

The G Suite team recently launched the very first Google Slides API, opening up a whole new set of possibilities, including leveraging data already sitting in a spreadsheet or database, and programmatically generating slide decks or slide content based on that data. Why is this a big deal? One of the key advantages of slide decks is that they can take database or spreadsheet data and make it more presentable for human consumption. This is useful when the need arises to communicate the information reflected by that data to management or potential customers.

Walking developers through a short application demonstrating both the Sheets and Slides APIs to make this happen is the topic of today's DevByte video. The sample app starts by reading all the necessary data from the spreadsheet using the Sheets API. The Slides API takes over from there, creating new slides for the data, then populating those slides with the Sheets data.

Developers interact with Slides by sending API requests. Similar to the Google Sheets API, these requests come in the form of JSON payloads. You create an array like in the JavaScript pseudocode below featuring requests to create a cell table on a slide and import a chart from a Sheet:


var requests = [
   {"createTable": {
       "elementProperties":
           {"pageObjectId": slideID},
       "rows": 8,
       "columns": 4
   }},
   {"createSheetsChart": {
       "spreadsheetId": sheetID,
       "chartId": chartID,
       "linkingMode": "LINKED",
       "elementProperties": {
           "pageObjectId": slideID,
           "size": {
               "height": { ... },
               "width": { ... }
           },
           "transform": { ... }
       }
   }}
];
If you've got at least one request, say in a variable named requests (as above), including the Sheet's sheetID and chartID plus the presentation page's slideID. You'd then pass it to the API with just one call to the presentations().batchUpdate() command, which in Python looks like the below if SLIDES is your API service endpoint:
SLIDES.presentations().batchUpdate(presentationId=slideID,
       body=requests).execute()

Creating tables is fairly straightforward. Creating charts has some magical features, one of those being the linkingMode. A value of "LINKED" means that if the Sheet data changes (altering the chart in the Sheet), the same chart in a slide presentation can be refreshed to match the latest image, either by the API or in the Slides user interface! You can also request a plain old static image that doesn't change with the data by selecting a value of "NOT_LINKED_IMAGE" for linkingMode. More on this can be found in the documentationon creating charts, and check out the video where you'll see both those API requests in action.

For a detailed look at the complete code sample featured in the video, check out the deep dive post. We look forward to seeing the interesting integrations you build with the power of both APIs!

Android Pay says Kia Ora

Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android phone.

Android Pay New Zealand Infographic

You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel, McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.

New Zealand Featured Stores

To start using Android Pay you’ll need to download the Android Pay app on Google Play and have a BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

New Zealand Android Pay

Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.

Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.

Android Pay says Kia Ora

Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android phone.

Android Pay New Zealand Infographic

You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel, McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.

New Zealand Featured Stores

To start using Android Pay you’ll need to download the Android Pay app on Google Play and have a BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

New Zealand Android Pay

Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.

Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.

Android Pay says Kia Ora

Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android phone.

Android Pay New Zealand Infographic

You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel, McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.

New Zealand Featured Stores

To start using Android Pay you’ll need to download the Android Pay app on Google Play and have a BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

New Zealand Android Pay

Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.

Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.

Android Pay says Kia Ora

Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android phone.

Android Pay New Zealand Infographic

You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel, McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.

New Zealand Featured Stores

To start using Android Pay you’ll need to download the Android Pay app on Google Play and have a BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

New Zealand Android Pay

Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.

Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.

Android Pay says Kia ora


Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android smartphone.


You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel, McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.


To start using Android Pay you’ll need to download the Android Pay app on Google Play and have a BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.


Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.

Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.

Posted by Pali Bhat, Global Head of Payments Products

Android Pay says Kia Ora

Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android phone.

Android Pay New Zealand Infographic

You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel, McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.

New Zealand Featured Stores

To start using Android Pay you’ll need to download the Android Pay app on Google Play and have a BNZ Flexi Debit Visa card.

New Zealand Android Pay

Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.

Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.