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Propelling Ahead Of The Android AR Core Curve: A Guide To Implementation And Future Trends

Overview

Augmented Reality (AR) is revolutionizing the way we interact with digital content and information. With the advent of Android AR Core, Google’s AR platform, developers have unprecedented tools at their disposal to create immersive and interactive AR experiences for Android devices. 

In this article, we will dive into the world of Android AR Core, exploring its core concepts, implementation strategies, and what the future holds for AR development:

  • Overview
  • Understanding Android AR Core
  • Getting Started With Android AR Core
  • Emerging Best Practices
  • The Future Of Android AR Development 
  • Closing Thoughts

Understanding Android AR Core

Android AR Core is a software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to build AR applications for Android devices. It leverages a device’s camera and sensors to recognize and interact with the real world. AR Core enables the placement of virtual objects in the physical environment, creating a seamless blend between the digital and physical worlds.

Getting Started With Android AR Core

Implementing AR Core into your Android application may seem complex, but Google has provided a wealth of resources and documentation to guide developers through the process. 

Here are the fundamental steps to get started:

  • Set Up Your Development Environment 

Ensure you have Android Studio and the AR Core SDK installed.

  • Create A Project

Start a new Android project in Android Studio or integrate AR Core into an existing one.

  • Understand Motion Tracking

AR Core uses motion tracking to understand the device’s position and orientation in the physical world. Learn how to enable and work with motion tracking.

  • Environmental Understanding

AR Core recognizes flat surfaces and feature points in the environment, allowing you to place objects accurately. Dive into environmental understanding to make your AR experiences more engaging.

  • Hit Testing

Learn how to detect when a virtual object intersects with a real-world object, enabling interactions.

  • Lighting And Reflection

AR Core considers the lighting conditions in the environment, ensuring that virtual objects appear natural and realistic.

Emerging Best Practices

As AR Core continues to evolve, certain best practices are emerging for developers:

  • Prioritize Performance

AR experiences demand real-time rendering and tracking. Optimize your application for performance to ensure a smooth user experience.

  • User-Centered Design

Create AR experiences that enhance user interactions with the physical world rather than overshadowing them.

  • Multi-Platform Compatibility

As AR Core expands to support more Android devices, aim for compatibility across various screen sizes and resolutions.

  • Experiment With Interaction

Explore novel ways for users to interact with AR content, such as gestures and voice commands.

The Future Of Android AR Development

The future of Android AR Core development is brimming with possibilities. As AR technology matures, we can expect:

  • Wider Adoption

With more Android devices supporting AR Core, AR applications will reach a broader audience.

  • Improved Realism

Advances in computer vision and machine learning will lead to more realistic AR experiences.

  • Cross-Platform Integration

Expect greater integration between Android AR Core and other AR platforms, enabling cross-platform AR applications.

Closing Thoughts

Android AR Core opens up a world of exciting opportunities for Android developers. By understanding its fundamentals, best practices, and future trends, you can position yourself at the forefront of this transformative technology. As AR becomes an integral part of our daily lives, your expertise in Android AR Core development will be more valuable than ever. 

Get ready to build the next generation of immersive, interactive, and visually stunning AR experiences on Android devices!

Harnessing Grafana For Comprehensive Full Stack Observability

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Taufiqur Ashrafy, Solutions Architect @ InRhythm on September 7th 2023, as part of this summer’s InRhythm Propel Summit 2023

Overview

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

In today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving digital landscape, ensuring the reliability, performance, and security of your applications is paramount. Achieving these goals requires gaining deep insights into every layer of your technology stack, from infrastructure to application code. Full Stack Observability is the key, and Grafana is the Swiss Army knife that empowers engineers to unlock its potential.

  • Overview
  • Full Stack Observability: A Necessity For Modern Business
  • What Is Grafana, And How Does It Benefit You?
  • The Role Of Grafana In Full Stack Observability
  • The InRhythm Propel Summit: Fostering Innovation In DevOps
  • Closing Thoughts

Full Stack Observability: A Necessity For Modern Business

As businesses increasingly rely on technology to deliver products and services, the complexity of their software systems has grown exponentially. Microservices architectures, serverless computing, and containerization have introduced a multitude of interconnected components. Ensuring the seamless operation of these systems demands comprehensive observability.

1. What is Full Stack Observability?

Full Stack Observability is the practice of collecting, correlating, and analyzing data from all layers of your technology stack, including infrastructure, networks, applications, and user interactions. It goes beyond traditional monitoring by providing a holistic view of your system’s health, performance, and behavior.

  • Infrastructure Monitoring

Track the health and performance of servers, databases, and networking components.

  • Application Monitoring

Gain insights into application code, dependencies, and performance bottlenecks.

  • User Experience Monitoring

Understand how users interact with your applications and identify areas for improvement.

  • Logs and Traces

Collect logs, traces, and events to troubleshoot issues and gain visibility into system behavior.

What Is Grafana, And How Does It Benefit You?

Grafana is an open-source platform for monitoring and observability that has gained widespread adoption in the tech industry. It’s renowned for its flexibility, extensibility, and its ability to integrate seamlessly with a variety of data sources, including popular observability tools like Prometheus, InfluxDB, and Elasticsearch.

At its core, Grafana serves as a centralized dashboarding and visualization tool. It allows engineers to create customized dashboards that aggregate data from multiple sources. Whether you’re monitoring infrastructure, application performance, or user interactions, Grafana provides a single pane of glass for all your observability needs.

Grafana offers several key benefits:

  • Flexibility

Grafana’s pluggable architecture means it can connect to virtually any data source, making it a versatile choice for engineers working with diverse tech stacks.

  • Customization

Engineers can create dashboards tailored to their specific needs, visualizing data in ways that are most meaningful to them.

  • Alerting

Grafana includes robust alerting capabilities, allowing teams to proactively respond to anomalies and outages.

  • Community

With an active and passionate user community, Grafana enjoys a constant stream of updates, plugins, and integrations.

The Role Of Grafana In Full Stack Observability 

Grafana plays a pivotal role in achieving Full Stack Observability. It acts as the central hub where data from various sources is collected, correlated, and visualized. Here’s how it fits into the broader observability picture:

  • Data Aggregation

Grafana collects data from different sources across your technology stack, from infrastructure metrics to application performance data.

  • Visualization

Engineers can create dashboards that provide real-time insights into system behavior, allowing them to identify issues, track performance trends, and make informed decisions.

  • Alerting

Grafana’s alerting system can trigger notifications when predefined thresholds are breached, ensuring rapid response to critical incidents.

  • Historical Analysis

Engineers can delve into historical data to understand long-term trends, assess the impact of changes, and plan for capacity scaling.

In essence, Grafana serves as the glue that brings together the myriad data points generated by modern applications and infrastructure. It provides engineers with the tools they need to gain visibility into their systems, troubleshoot issues, and optimize performance.

The InRhythm Propel Summit: Fostering Innovation In DevOps

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

The InRhythm Propel Summit is a dynamic platform that brings together thought leaders, industry experts, and engineers to explore the latest trends, strategies, and technologies shaping the world of DevOps. Our mission is clear: to accelerate learning and growth, foster innovation, and empower engineering teams to thrive in a rapidly evolving technical landscape.

One of the standout events within the Propel Summit is our DevOps Workshop, a crucible of knowledge and collaboration. Led by Taufiqur Ashrafy, our DevOps Workshop delves into critical aspects of the DevOps methodology. It equips engineers with the tools and insights needed to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration between development and operations teams, and ultimately, deliver software more efficiently and reliably.

The Full Stack Observability programming within the Propel Summit is at the forefront of DevOps innovation. It’s here that engineers gain valuable insights into monitoring, troubleshooting, and optimizing their technology stacks. By adopting the latest observability practices, teams can detect issues faster, respond proactively to incidents, and ensure the highest levels of application performance and reliability.

As part of our unwavering commitment to support the learning and growth of engineering teams, the Propel Summit offers a unique opportunity to connect with industry peers, share knowledge, and explore the frontiers of technology. Join us in this exciting journey of discovery and innovation as we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of software engineering.

Closing Thoughts

In an era marked by complex, distributed systems, Full Stack Observability is no longer a luxury but a necessity. It’s the compass that guides engineers through the intricate web of modern technology stacks, helping them uncover hidden issues, optimize performance, and deliver exceptional user experiences.

Grafana, with its versatility and integration capabilities, stands as a cornerstone in achieving Full Stack Observability. By leveraging Grafana and other observability tools, organizations can gain the insights needed to build resilient, high-performance systems that meet the demands of today’s digital world.

As we continue to explore emerging technologies and best practices through initiatives like the InRhythm Propel Summit, we invite you to join us on this journey of growth and innovation. Together, we can navigate the complexities of the tech landscape, unlock new possibilities, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of software engineering.

Revolutionizing Web Development: Backend Server-Side Rendering Strategies With Next.js

Based on a Lightning Talk by:  Paul Pladziewicz, Senior Software Engineer @ InRhythm on August 29th 2023, as part of this summer’s InRhythm Propel Summit 2023

Overview

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, web applications need to strike a delicate balance between user experience and technical performance. This is where backend server-side rendering (SSR) steps in as a game-changing solution. 

In this article, we’ll explore the intricacies of implementing backend SSR with Next.js, uncovering its benefits and how it aligns with the InRhythm Propel Summit’s Web Workshop insights on web application development:

  • Overview
  • The Power Of Backend Server-Side Rendering
  • Setting Up Next.js For Backend SSR
  • Strategies For Effective Backend SSR
  • Best Practices 
  • Connecting With InRhythm’s Propel Summit Workshop
  • Closing Thoughts

The Power Of Backend Server-Side Rendering

Backend Server-Side Rendering is a technique that allows web servers to pre-render JavaScript components on the server side before sending them to the client’s browser. This approach provides several advantages over traditional Client-Side Rendering (CSR):

  • Improved Performance

Backend SSR reduces the initial load time by delivering fully-rendered HTML to the client.

  • SEO Optimization

Search engines can easily index Backend SSR pages, improving your site’s search engine rankings.

  • Better User Experience

Faster page loading and interactivity lead to an improved user experience.

Setting Up Next.js For Backend SSR

To get started with Backend SSR in Next.js, you’ll need to set up your project:

  • Create a Next.js App

You can create a new Next.js app using the official boilerplate. Run ‘npx create-next-app my-app’ to initialize your project.

  • Routing

Next.js uses file-based routing. Create a ‘pages’ directory and add your routes as files. For example, ‘pages/index.js’ maps to the root URL (‘/’).

  • Components

Build your React components as usual, ensuring they are exportable and reusable.

  • Data Fetching

For Backend SSR, you’ll need to fetch data on the server side. You can use the ‘getServerSideProps’ function provided by Next.js to fetch data before rendering.

Strategies For Effective Backend SSR

  • Cache Management

Caching is crucial for Backend SSR to prevent redundant server-side rendering. Implement caching mechanisms like Redis or in-memory caching to store pre-rendered pages.

  • Load Balancing

Distribute Backend SSR requests evenly across multiple server instances using load balancers. This ensures optimal performance and scalability.

  • Code Splitting

Leverage code splitting techniques to load only the necessary JavaScript bundles for each page. This reduces the initial load time.

  • Optimize Images

Use responsive image libraries like ‘next/image’ to optimize and lazy-load images for different screen sizes, reducing page load times.

Best Practices

  • Error Handling

Implement error handling to gracefully handle Backend SSR errors without crashing the entire application.

  • CSS Styles

Use CSS-in-JS libraries like ‘styled-components’ or ‘emotion’ for Backend SSR-compatible styles.

  • Security

Ensure your Backend SSR implementation is secure. Sanitize user inputs, validate data, and use security headers.

  • Testing

Write comprehensive tests for Backend SSR components to catch regressions early.

  • Monitoring

Set up monitoring and logging to track Backend SSR performance and errors in real-time.

Connecting With InRhythm’s Propel Summit Workshop

Design Credit: Joel Colletti, Lead UI/UX Designer @ InRhythm

The recent Propel Summit’s Web Workshop hosted by InRhythm delved into the transformative potential of backend server-side rendering with Next.js. Attendees gained practical insights into integrating backend SSR, harnessing its capabilities to enhance their web applications’ responsiveness and user engagement.

Closing Thoughts

Backend server-side rendering with Next.js marks a significant advancement in web application development. By leveraging its capabilities, developers can achieve the delicate balance between user experience and technical performance. As showcased in the InRhythm Propel Summit’s Web Workshop, backend SSR empowers developers to build applications that are not only visually engaging but also responsive and optimized for SEO. Embrace this technology to take your web applications to new heights of performance and user satisfaction.

Unleashing The Power Of Foldable Devices: Exploring Android Foldable APIs

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Bryan Jiang, Senior Android Engineer @ InRhythm on July 13th, 2023

Overview

Foldable devices have introduced a new era of innovation and user experience in the Android ecosystem. These devices offer unique form factors with flexible displays that can adapt to various usage scenarios. To fully leverage the potential of foldable devices, Google has introduced Foldable APIs, a set of powerful tools and features that enable developers to create engaging and seamless experiences for users.

In Bryan Jiang’s Lightning Talk session, we will delve into the world of Android Foldable APIs, exploring their capabilities, implementation techniques, and the latest advancements:

  • Overview
  • Understanding Android Foldable APIs
  • Key Features And Capabilities Of Android Foldable APIs
  • Implementation Techniques And Best Practices
  • Latest Advancements And Resources
  • Closing Thoughts

Understanding Android Foldable APIs

Android Foldable APIs provide developers with a comprehensive set of tools to adapt their apps to foldable devices. These APIs enable developers to detect and respond to changes in device configuration, such as folding, unfolding, or transitioning between different modes (ie. single-screen, dual-screen). By utilizing Foldable APIs, developers can optimize their apps for multi-window workflows, resizable layouts, and enhanced user interactions on foldable devices.

Key Features And Capabilities Of Android Foldable APIs

  1. Screen Continuity
  • Foldable APIs allow developers to seamlessly transition between different screen configurations and adapt the app’s layout and content accordingly
  • Developers can handle events like folding and unfolding, preserving app state and providing a consistent user experience
  1. Multi-Window Support
  • Foldable APIs enable developers to design apps that can span across multiple screens, taking full advantage of the larger display real estate on foldable devices
  • Developers can create multi-window experiences, allowing users to interact with multiple app components simultaneously
  1. Hinge And Display Metrics
  • Foldable APIs provide access to hinge angle and display metrics, enabling developers to dynamically adjust the app’s layout and behavior based on the device’s physical characteristics
  • Developers can optimize their apps to utilize the full potential of foldable devices and provide a seamless experience regardless of the device’s posture

Implementation Techniques And Best Practices

  1. Configuring The Manifest
  • Update the manifest file to declare support for foldable devices and specify the app’s behavior for different screen configurations
  • Use the <supports-screens> and <compatible-screens> elements to ensure compatibility across various foldable device models
  1. Handling Configuration Changes
  • Implement appropriate lifecycle callbacks and listeners to detect and respond to changes in device configuration, such as folding and unfolding events
  • Dynamically update the app’s layout, resources, and user interface to adapt to different screen modes
  1. Multi-Window Layouts
  • Design responsive layouts that can adapt to multiple windows, taking advantage of the expanded screen real estate
  • Utilize ConstraintLayout or other adaptive layout techniques to ensure proper rendering and usability in multi-window scenarios

Latest Advancements And Resources

  1. Jetpack WindowManager
  1. Google Developer Documentation
  1. Foldable Device Emulators And Hardware

Closing Thoughts

Android Foldable APIs empower developers to create immersive and adaptable experiences for foldable devices. By leveraging the capabilities of Foldable APIs, developers can optimize their apps for multi-window workflows, responsive layouts, and seamless transitions on foldable devices. Stay up to date with the latest advancements, documentation, and community resources to unlock the full potential of Android Foldable APIs and provide exceptional user experiences on these innovative devices.

Building Compose-Driven Architecture On Android With Circuit

Based on a Lightning Talk by: Trevor Crawford, Senior Android Engineer @ InRhythm on June 8th, 2023

Overview

As the Android ecosystem evolves, developers are continuously seeking efficient ways to build and architect modern, scalable, and maintainable applications. One approach gaining traction is the adoption of a Compose-driven architecture, which leverages Jetpack Compose, the declarative UI toolkit introduced by Google. 

In Trevor Crawford’s Lightning Talk session, we will explore how developers can harness the power of Circuit to build a Compose-driven application architecture on Android. We will delve into the benefits, principles, and implementation techniques of this approach:

  • Overview
  • Understanding Compose-Driven Architecture
  • The Role Of Circuit
  • Benefits Of Compose-Driven Architecture With Circuit
  • Implementation Techniques
  • Closing Thoughts 

Understanding Compose-Driven Architecture

Compose-driven architecture is centered around Jetpack Compose, a powerful UI toolkit that enables developers to build responsive and flexible user interfaces. It emphasizes the use of declarative programming, allowing developers to describe the UI state and behavior using a concise and intuitive syntax. Compose-driven architecture promotes modularity, reusability, and testability by breaking down the UI into smaller, composable components. These components can be combined and composed to build complex UI screens, providing a more efficient and maintainable development experience.

The Role Of Circuit

Circuit is an open-source library  and framework that complements Compose-driven architecture by providing additional tools and patterns. These circuits offer ready-to-use solutions for common challenges in building Android applications, such as state management, navigation, dependency injection, and data fetching. Circuit enables developers to follow best practices and leverage pre-built components, saving time and effort in developing the core infrastructure of the application. Additionally, they foster a collaborative and supportive community, enabling developers to learn from and contribute to shared knowledge.

Benefits Of Compose-Driven Architecture With Circuit

  • Increased Productivity And Development Efficiency 

Compose-driven architecture, coupled with open-source circuits, boosts developer productivity by providing a modular and reusable approach. Composable UI components and pre-built circuit libraries enable faster development and reduce boilerplate code. The declarative nature of Compose simplifies UI updates, while open-source circuits handle complex tasks, freeing up developers to focus on business logic and unique features.

  • Improved Testability And Maintainability

Compose-driven architecture promotes testability by separating UI logic from business logic. With smaller and composable components, unit testing becomes more straightforward. Open-source circuits often provide testing utilities and patterns, enabling developers to write comprehensive tests for UI components and application logic. This approach results in more stable, maintainable, and bug-resistant codebases.

Implementation Techniques

  • Modularization And Separation Of Concerns

Compose-driven architecture encourages modularization and separation of concerns. Divide the application into modules based on features or layers, such as presentation, domain, and data. Each module can encapsulate its UI components, business logic, and data management, ensuring a clear separation of responsibilities and promoting code organization.

  • Leveraging Open-Source Circuits

Identify the key architectural concerns in your application and explore relevant open-source circuits. Integrate these circuits into your project using dependency management tools like Gradle. Follow the provided documentation and examples to adopt the circuit’s patterns and utilities within your Compose-driven architecture.

  • Composable UI Components

Break down your UI into small, reusable, and self-contained composable components. Circuit’s UI and State concepts make it simple to define, test and preview your UI’s composable functions. Your UI will send CircuitEvents back to the Presenter, which then updates the CircuitState. This circular loop completes the “Circuit” and makes for an easy to follow and intuitive architecture.

Closing Thoughts

By utilizing the power of Compose-driven architecture with Circuit, developers can build scalable, maintainable, and efficient Android applications. This approach offers benefits like increased productivity, improved testability, and flexibility. Leveraging modularization, separation of concerns, and pre-built Circuit libraries, developers can focus on delivering high-quality features while adhering to best practices. Embrace Compose-driven architecture with open-source circuits to elevate your Android development experience and create exceptional applications.