This Week in Mobile (Apr 11)

Later in the week we'll see what Facebook have in store for the world with their F8 conference. It's very likely they will finally open up APIs for chatbots and live chat.  For now, here's the other news and projects keeping the app developer ecosystem alive

Android 

The next version of the OS, Android N, introduces upgraded notifications. Make sure to check them out in the developer preview.

Trivago have an awesome Android app. Learn how they Built a Solid Base for a Material Design app.

Android projects getting complicated? Check out this Alternative Struture for your Android projects

It might be time to think twice before deriding Swift - it looks like Google might be considering Swift as a first class language for Android, and they're not the only big name that is reevaluating Swift's place in the world. 

Some projects to look out for: 

• NavigationTabBar: Navigation tab bar with colorful interactions 

• SearchViewAnim: A cool search view animation library

• Conductor: A small, yet full-featured framework that allows building View-based Android applications

• RxAndroidBle: A powerful painkiller for Android's Bluetooth Low Energy headaches
  
  

iOS 

Does you app deal with large amounts of data being sent over the network? Then you should take the time to Explore MVC-N in Swift

Learn how to use Xcode Schemes to run a subset of your test cases, useful when you need to get through test results quickly.

Working with a financial based app? You might want to read this article about creating a money type in Swift.

For debugging, your log output is where it's at. Learn how to prettify you print statements in Swift. 

Some projects for you to try out this week: 

• BetterSegmentedControl:  An easy to use, customizable replacement for UISegmentedControl & UISwitch

• SKPhotoBrowser: Simple PhotoBrowser/Viewer inspired by the Facebook and Twitter photo browsers written in Swift

• swift-summary:A summary of Apple's Swift language written on Playgrounds

• Caishen: A payment card UI & validator for iOS

General 

Guiding Principles of Design attempts to articulate the 'why' behind how we design and what should guide us. 

Trying to make your app stand out? Read why Every UX Leader Needs a Unique UX Strategy Playbook 

Are you guilty of abusing your user's time? This article will help you see the error of your ways.

Just in case you thought you'd branch out and become a VC, here's some advise to consider.