Google's Android Developer Labs headed to Australia next week

Next week will see Google's Android Developer Advocates kick off a regional tour of Android Developer Labs (ADLs) in Australia and New Zealand, helping a handpicked selection of aspiring Android developers take their apps to the next level. Hitting Melbourne next Tuesday (31 January) before moving on to Sydney on Friday (3 February) and Auckland Wednesday week (8 February), the Lab sessions are designed to teach "accomplished" Android developers (ie. ideally Labs attendees will have already successfully published an app on Android Market) best practice techniques in order to maximise the potential of the platform and make the most of their title. As Google puts it, "enter an ADL with a good app... but leave with a great app."


In other words, the sessions aren't aimed at beginners, nor at developers migrating from other platforms who don't yet have a solid level of Android experience, but even if you're not sure if you make the cut you've got nothing to lose by applying (although only the most qualified developers who register will make the cut). Sessions will cover: what's new in Ice Cream Sandwich; how to utilise cloud services in your app; bringing polish and immersion to your user experience; and how to create "rich" apps for smartphones (and tablets). Anyone can register for the event, but you'll need to bring a notebook with the Eclipse & Android SDK (API 15) installed and configured and an Android device for debugging. For registration details and further information on the program, see here, and good luck.