If you are behind a proxy and looking to connect the emulator to Internet, Luisa Magarian have posted the way to set proxy for the emulator. It uses the command line and the adb utility. First change directory to the emulator tools folder, you will find also the adb utility there. Run the emulator, then from command line :

1. ./adb shell sqlite3 /data/data/com.google.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db “\”INSERT INTO system VALUES(99,’http_proxy’,’ [host_or_IP]:[port]’);\”"
2. Change [host_or_ip] and [port] to your correct proxy values
3. Try to connect from Android and it should be working fine.

Luisa posted also the way to access some Android’s system setting using SQLite, this will help to get more information on how Android work, for example to retrieve all settings :

1. ./adb shell sqlite3 /data/data/com.google.android.providers.settings/databases/settings.db “\”SELECT * FROM system\”"
2. This will return :
   1|music_volume|3
   2|voice_volume|3
   3|ringer_volume|3

Popularity: 72%

I’ll say also what a week ! This Monday we got the first look into Android SDK, developers started playing with the SDK, coding the first Android applications, and certainly reporting bugs and features. It’s the first week, and Android developers blog have just announced the first SDK update version M3-RC22a including fixes for high priority issues. There is also an update for the Eclipse plugin (ADT) to version 0.3.1, so be sure to check the latest update from your eclipse environment.

The Android team was very helpful over the discussions groups and answered a lot of technical questions around the platform, when answers are required. David posted some good reading over the official blog that you might check, but here I’ll post some blogs on Android and OHA launched this week, where you can find more news on the platform :

1. Android Portal
2. Hello Android
3. OHAdev.com

Got a blog or a website on Android ? Add it in comments.

Popularity: 17%

Funambol, a leading provider of mobile 2.0 messaging software powered by open source, announced this week open source mobile messaging & sync client for Android platform. According to the official press release, the Funambol client for Android will enable Android phones to work with the free myFUNAMBOL portal to wirelessly sync PIM data and email with Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, AOL, Microsoft Outlook and other email systems. The system will enable also users to migrate their contacts and emails from other platforms to Android.

“Google Android can make a huge impact on the mobile business, like the iPhone, but in a very different way,” said Fabrizio Capobianco, CEO of Funambol. “The iPhone had a beautiful interface but was closed and lacked a public SDK. It also worked within the confines of existing mobile operator business models. Android is the opposite — it is the ultimate open SDK for mobile devices whose interface and capabilities are limited only by the imagination of developers. Its ad-sponsored business model can radically challenge the dynamics of the wireless industry. We are very excited to work with our community to provide a Funambol client for Android.”

According to the company website, Funambol is currently providing open source-based push email, contacts and calendars for over 1.5 billion mobile devices, including phones from Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG and others. A commercial version of the company’s software has been adopted by mobile operators and service providers around the globe, including Earthlink in the U.S. and 1&1 in Europe.

See also interview with Fabrizio Capobianco, CEO of Funambol at TechNewsWorld on Linux and the future of the mobile market.

Popularity: 10%

Just noticed today a press release planned for next monday (19th November) by Synaptics, member of the OHA. Synaptics Inc., a leading developer of capacitive-based human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications and entertainment devices; and today they are announcing the touch interface driver for Android SDK. A good news for developers who were looking for a way to test the touch interface capabilities with Android SDK.

Synaptics is the only touch interface company in the alliance, and they are already providing mobile solutions for Onyx, Pantech, Samsung and many others. According to the press release, Synaptics will provide mobile handset designers with a powerful yet easy to use tool to develop advanced, multi-touch gestures for the Android platform.

“Synaptics is proud to be a founding member of the Open Handset Alliance,” said, Joseph Virginia, Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Handheld Business of Synaptics. “Our contribution to the Android platform will help bring dynamic touch user interfaces to everyone in the mobile market. By creating an open environment conducive to collaboration and partnering, the Alliance will allow key influencers to deliver innovative devices and services to meet the needs of the fast-changing mobile industry.”

Popularity: 32%

We all know that the two success keys of any open source project are : the community and the documentation. Android SDK was launched with an excellent documentation, but there was just one group “Android developers” where people started talking about anything concerning Android but development. The group become quickly overcrowded and difficult to follow. I posted a suggestion yesterday to launch new groups for newbies and general discussion, and google reacted very quickly by splitting the developers group into five discussion groups.

So for now, be sure to read Android groups charter and check the right group before asking your question. This is the new list of Android groups :

1. Android Beginners : New to Android development? Start here. Open to any discussion around beginner-type questions; this is a great way to get up and running with your new App on the Android platform.
2. Android Developers : Discuss developing Android applications using the Android framework. Get help with troubleshooting apps, advice on implementation, and strategies for improving your app’s speed and user experience.
3. Android internals : For “hackers” interested in discussing the innards of Android or exploring its use on various hardware.
4. Android Challenge : Discuss the Android Developer Challenge, including questions on contest details. You can also seek other developers to join a team effort.
5. Android discuss : The “water cooler” of Android discussion. Free-wheeling discussion from ideas about the Android platform to your announcements on other Android resources.

Popularity: 14%