Android's car home gets its own Market app

In what's turning out to be a trend for Android applications, Google's car home app today became available on the Android Market.

The app, which has come as a built-in system application in Android since version 2.0, lets Android owners use their phone as a GPS tool and a hands-free phone system when attached to something like a car dock. Now it exists as a standalone application that can be updated separately of Android system releases. This means if Google needs to release a quick fix to the app, it doesn't need to push out a new version of the operating system to users on an increasingly diverse number of hardware configurations. The company did the same thing just last week for its Gmail application.

To entice people to upgrade from the stock version, Google has thrown in a handful of changes. The biggest one is that users can now rearrange the icons that appear on each page of the application. There were hints of a feature like this coming with version 2.2 of Android (nicknamed "Froyo"), including some empty spaces, but no way to fill them with anything. Now the car app gives you two extra empty pages to add things like navigation routes, direct dialing to favorite contacts, and shortcuts to other Android applications. These are things you could have accessed from your phone's home screen, but not without fumbling to exit the car home screen, then hopping back into it--not the kind of thing you want to deal with while driving.
QR code (Credit: cyrket)

Other new features in this release include a way to change the colors of the shortcut icons and add personalized wallpaper (in case you're unhappy with the black background), as well as a new launcher that will automatically flip on your phone's Bluetooth radio when you launch the car home app, or start the car phone app when a paired Bluetooth device gets into range.

To grab the app, just snap the QR code to the right, or follow this link from your Android device.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20018230-248.html#ixzz114xfPSwU

Installation on Linux

1) To Install the Android on Your Linux (Examle :- Fedora 11) Machine
you need the following .....

A) JDK (5.0 or 6.0)

B) Eclipse 3.5 Link - http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/
(Download the First One Which has 190 MB)

C) Android SDK - http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html

2) Install the JDk

3) Extract the Eclipse

4) Unzip Android SDK at any location you want...
(Recomended - /home/usr)

5) On Linux, edit your ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bashrc file.
Look for a line that sets the PATH environment variable and add
the full path to the tools/ directory to it. If you don't see a line
setting the path, you can add one:


[root@localhost ~]# cat .bash_profile
cd ~
ls -A
cat .bash_profile

export PATH=${PATH}:/tools

6) Now Open Eclipse Go To Help->Install New Software->Add
Click on the add button that will open a new dialog box

Name : ADT Plugins
URL : https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

7) Back in the Available Software view, you should now see
"Developer Tools" added to the list. Select the checkbox
next to Developer Tools, which will automatically select the
nested tools Android DDMS and Android Development Tools.
Click Next.

8) In the resulting Install Details dialog, the Android DDMS
and Android Development Tools features are listed.
Click Next to read and accept the license agreement and
install any dependencies, then click Finish.

9) Restart the Eclipse.

10) Once you've successfully downnloaded ADT as described above,
the next step is to modify your ADT preferences in
Eclipse to point to the Android SDK directory:

1. Select Window > Preferences... to open the Preferences panel (Mac OS X: Eclipse >
Preferences).
2. Select Android from the left panel.
3. For the SDK Location in the main panel, click Browse... and
locate your downloaded SDK directory.
4. Click Apply, then OK.

11) Now Go Where You extract the android SDk....
tools->android (Click on It)

12) That will open a dialog box of Android SDK and AVD Manager

13) Go to Available Packages Click on the Check box
which is located in your right...

14) It Will Show u List of Api....

15) Then please tick on Your SDK Platform Android ( Your Version ) API

16) After selecting API Please Click on Install Selected Button
Which is located right bottom

17) After Installing Your Api go to Virtual Device listed in left ..

18) Click on New Button ...

19) Give Any Name ... And Select Your Target API....
Rest of Information is Optional...then click on Create AVD

20) Now Open the Eclipse and Enjoy the Android....

Create your first program
http://developer.android.com/resources/tutorials/hello-world.html