Episode 61 of Android Developers Backstage is now available. In this episode +Chet Haase talks with Rom Lemarchand from the Android Systems team about A/B updates.

http://androidbackstage.blogspot.com/2017/01/episode-61-kernel-panic.html

WPS Office Software creates innovative experiences for users on Google Play

Learn how the WPS Office Software app, by Chinese software developer Kingsoft Office Software, has grown in international markets and optimized it’s app to create a better experience for users, with features such as translation services, store listing experiments, and more, on Google Play.

https://goo.gl/66b7G7

Hurry up & enter Google Play Indie Games Contest - last day is 31 Dec

Enter and learn more at: g.co/play/indiecontest #PlayIndie

The deadline to submit your game to the Google Play Indie Games Contest is 31 Dec, midnight GMT! Don’t miss out on the chance to win prizes that will help you get your game noticed by industry experts and gamers worldwide. Prizes include an open showcase held at the Saatchi Gallery in London, YouTube influencer campaigns worth up to 100,000 EUR, Premium placements in Google Play Store, and much more!

ExoPlayer 2.1 released!
The ExoPlayer library is a customizable and extensible alternative to Android’s built-in MediaPlayer API. ExoPlayer 2.1 takes advantage of the architectural changes introduced in 2.0 to deliver new features, including:

- Significantly improved HLS support, including the ability to seek in HLS live streams.
- Support for positioning and styling of CEA-608 captions.
- ID3 metadata and album art support for MP3 and MP4 audio.
- Improved flexibility for out-of-the-box UI components.

Read the ExoPlayer blog post for more details: https://medium.com/google-exoplayer/exoplayer-2-1-whats-new-2832c09fedab

Follow the blog to stay up to date with ExoPlayer: https://medium.com/google-exoplayer
Start using ExoPlayer today: https://github.com/google/ExoPlayer

Setting up the Android Emulator: An Android Tool Time Deep Dive

You don’t have to remember all the best settings for the Android Emulator. Android Studio and the Android Device Manager provide defaults that should get you up and running quickly… and smoothly. Wojtek Kaliciński walks you through the setup process in this Android Tool Time episode: https://goo.gl/Jgcmra

Building interfaces with ConstraintLayout in Android Studio

The new Layout Editor in Android Studio 2.2 has some surprises, including a new blueprint mode, revamped properties inspector and support for ConstraintLayout, a new way to define layouts for your apps. In this Android Tool Time episode you’ll learn the basics of working with ConstraintLayouts.

When you’re familiar with the interface, read the rest of our Medium article where you’ll find some tips and tricks for the ConstraintLayout: goo.gl/DqU6J2

EATING TIME is a bluetooth beacon that disables connected devices to maximize family time! https://goo.gl/sX52A6

TWENTY-SEVEN a three-dimensional tic-tac-toe game where each vertical plane is a separate Android device. https://goo.gl/9D2U0b

Updated documentation for building audio and video apps

If you’re building a media app that does audio or video playback, we’ve released comprehensive documentation covering all of the components and best practices needed to #BuildBetterApps.

The new documentation covers:
- The architecture for building a media app
- The role of the media-compat support library
- Getting the most out of MediaSessionCompat
- Building audio apps with MediaBrowserServiceCompat
- Handling lifecycle callbacks for video apps
- Responding to media buttons from wired headsets, Bluetooth devices, and other peripherals
- Handling changes in audio output and audio focus

Introducing the ExifInterface Support Library

Exif tags store information such as the orientation, date and time, camera information, and the location directly in a JPEG or RAW file. The ExifInterface Support Library is new in version 25.1.0 and unbundles support for reading Exif information from JPEG and raw (DNG, CR2, NEF, NRW, ARW, RW2, ORF, PEF, SRW and RAF) formatted files and setting the Exif information on JPEG image files.

This makes previously API 25+ only format support and the ability to read Exif information from content:// URI InputStreams available on all API 9+ devices.

Get the guide to finding success in new markets on Google Play

Get started: g.co/play/globalplaybook

With just a few clicks, you can publish an app to Google Play and access a global audience of more than 1 billion 30 days active users. Finding success in global markets means considering how each market differs, planning for high quality localization, and tailoring your activity to the local audience. The new Going Global Playbook provides best practices and tips, with advice from developers who’ve successfully gone global.

Get the Going Global Playbook on the Google Play Store: g.co/play/globalplaybook

Google Play Indie Games Contest - submissions closing soon, enter now

Enter and learn more at: http://g.co/play/indiecontest

The deadline to submit your game to the Google Play Indie Games Contest is December 31st. Don’t miss out on the chance to win prizes that will help you get your game noticed by industry experts and gamers worldwide.

Prizes include:
+ An open showcase held at the Saatchi Gallery in London
+ YouTube influencer campaigns worth up to 100,000 EUR
+ Premium placements on Google Play, and much more!

Even if you’re not eligible to enter the contest, you can still register to attend the showcase event in London on February 16, 2017, check out some great games, and have fun with some industry experts, top indie developers, and gamers. Or you can sign up to our indie games developer workshop on 17 February, also in London.

Visit the site: http://g.co/play/indiecontest

#PlayIndie