So...after many weeks of waiting, I finally received an email from Google letting me know I can now access the Android App Inventor, great!
I decided to start by following one of the tutorials to create the simple 'meowing cat application', just while I learn how it all works.
So, I excitedly get logged on, create a new project and starting working on my first project...and then it all started going wrong.
Firstly, the App Inventor had problems with the 'Blocks Editor'. After a while of faffing around with FireFox settings, turning add-ons on and off, I decided I should try it with IE instead...it worked. So I was stuck using that nightmare piece of software..grrr!
Anywho, after logging back into the Inventor in IE, loading my empty project, and successfully opening the Blocks Editor...I run into my next problem. It cannot detect my T-Mobile Pulse plugged in via USB. After even more faffing about with firewall settings and re-connecting my phones USB, it will still not work. Luckily, a phone doesn't need to be connected, so I carry on without it.
After finishing the tutorial pretty much problem free, I have my first app created and ready to deploy to my mobile for testing, woo! I try downloading it straight to my phone...nope, it cannot find it plugged in via USB, just like the block editor.
The next option was to download it to my computer and transfer it manually. Nope, apparently the google website cannot be found so the download cannot start, bah! So, thinking it was just IE, I went back to FireFox, loaded up the project and tried to download it. Nope, it has to have the blocks editor open to be able to download it...which still only worked in IE....aarg!
Back to IE, the last option was to use a barcode to download it, which much to my surprise, worked fine. I had a nice barcode on my screen to download it...if only my phone had a barcode scanner app, d'oh!
So...on my rather slow phone I eventually manage to browse to the market, find the scanner, and start to download it. A loooong time later, and it's still 'starting the download'. That obviously wasn't going to work so I had to download the app manually on the computer, and then transfer it. Moments later, I have it working and am ready to scan the barcode! I am moments away from having my very own portable pettable cat..
Back in IE, I ask it to generate the barcode again (As I closed it before). After a long time had dragged by, it finally popped up on screen. Nope, not the barcode, an error!
Second attempt, took a while but I finally had my barcode on screen. I successfully manage to scan it, download it AND install it with nothing going wrong.
At last! After almost 2 hours work and a lot of frustration...I can now make my phone meow at me
Hope it goes smoother next time..
I decided to start by following one of the tutorials to create the simple 'meowing cat application', just while I learn how it all works.
So, I excitedly get logged on, create a new project and starting working on my first project...and then it all started going wrong.
Firstly, the App Inventor had problems with the 'Blocks Editor'. After a while of faffing around with FireFox settings, turning add-ons on and off, I decided I should try it with IE instead...it worked. So I was stuck using that nightmare piece of software..grrr!
Anywho, after logging back into the Inventor in IE, loading my empty project, and successfully opening the Blocks Editor...I run into my next problem. It cannot detect my T-Mobile Pulse plugged in via USB. After even more faffing about with firewall settings and re-connecting my phones USB, it will still not work. Luckily, a phone doesn't need to be connected, so I carry on without it.
After finishing the tutorial pretty much problem free, I have my first app created and ready to deploy to my mobile for testing, woo! I try downloading it straight to my phone...nope, it cannot find it plugged in via USB, just like the block editor.
The next option was to download it to my computer and transfer it manually. Nope, apparently the google website cannot be found so the download cannot start, bah! So, thinking it was just IE, I went back to FireFox, loaded up the project and tried to download it. Nope, it has to have the blocks editor open to be able to download it...which still only worked in IE....aarg!
Back to IE, the last option was to use a barcode to download it, which much to my surprise, worked fine. I had a nice barcode on my screen to download it...if only my phone had a barcode scanner app, d'oh!
So...on my rather slow phone I eventually manage to browse to the market, find the scanner, and start to download it. A loooong time later, and it's still 'starting the download'. That obviously wasn't going to work so I had to download the app manually on the computer, and then transfer it. Moments later, I have it working and am ready to scan the barcode! I am moments away from having my very own portable pettable cat..
Back in IE, I ask it to generate the barcode again (As I closed it before). After a long time had dragged by, it finally popped up on screen. Nope, not the barcode, an error!
Second attempt, took a while but I finally had my barcode on screen. I successfully manage to scan it, download it AND install it with nothing going wrong.
At last! After almost 2 hours work and a lot of frustration...I can now make my phone meow at me
Hope it goes smoother next time..
