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How can I detect if app is running on PDA

I would like to know if there is a way to detect if my app is running on a PDA (with android OS) or a conventional smartphone?

There is no difference between a PDA and a traditional smartphone, except for possibly the presence of a cellular radio (and even that's not assured, there may be one). THere's also no difference between a tablet and a smartphone. They're marketing terms, not actual differences between devices. Take any smartphone and smack on an assistant looking UI and you have a PDA.
BTW, not all Android phones have the play store either- its common in Asia for low price brands to not pay Google for it and just load a version of AOSP on it.
So if you want actual help, you need to describe what's different about this device that matters to your program, and then we might be able to help you find workarounds. But there's no way to tell "PDA" because "PDA" has no meaning.

What Android device should I buy for Android app development? [closed]

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I'm in the market for a basic Android device. My main reason for buying one is for learning to develop mobile apps. While the Eclipse IDE offers a virtual Android device for testing apps, it's not the same thing as a real Android device and won't put me on the same wavelength as Android device users. (The most obvious example: Visibility is poorer in a bright outdoor environment than indoors.)
Some questions:
Is a tablet PC the type of device I should get? I get the impression that it's more versatile than other devices. I don't need a smartphone, because my dumbphone works well for me, and I don't even use it that much. And I HATE the idea of being locked into a specific wireless provider. I'm not interested in ebooks, because I still like books on paper better.
Should I get a device with Android 2.3 or 4.0? On the one hand, over 90% of current Android users are using version 2.3.3 or earlier. On the other hand, 4.0 is better and will be gaining market share. (Would buying an Android 2.3 device now and buying an Android 4.0 device later be my best bet?)
In addition to wifi, what else should I look for?
Are there any brands/models I should avoid? I remember hearing that the Packard Bell PCs were the most unreliable. The Yugo was a terrible value. (An old Oldsmobile Cutlass clunker was a better value - at least as reliable but MUCH cheaper to buy.)
Is there any point in buying used? The listings on Ebay and Google Shopping don't show the used tablet PCs to be that much cheaper than new ones, and there are more new tablets than used ones available.
Ebay listings currently (5-23-2012) show over 200 Android 2.3 tablets selling for $55-$90:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/iPads-Tablets-eBook-Readers-/171485/i.html?Operating%2520System=Android%25202%252E3%252Ex%2520Gingerbread&LH_BIN=1&Internet%2520Connectivity=Wi%252DFi%7CWi%252DFi%2520%252B%25203G%7CWi%252DFi%2520%252B%25204G&_nkw=android+2.3&_dmpt=US_Tablets&rt=nc&LH_ItemCondition=1000
Ebay listings currently (5-23-2012) show over 200 Android 4.0 tablets selling for $83-$107:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/iPads-Tablets-eBook-Readers-/171485/i.html?Operating%2520System=Android%25204%252Ex%2520Ice%2520Cream%2520Sandwich&LH_BIN=1&LH_ItemCondition=1000&Type=Tablet&_pppn=r1&_dmpt=US_Tablets&Internet%2520Connectivity=Wi%252DFi%7CWi%252DFi%2520%252B%25203G%7CWi%252DFi%2520%252B%25204G
What do you think?

This question is probably off topic.
But here are my thoughts:
If you want to develop the truth is you should try to have access (be it ownership or just access) to any devices that you intend to support with your applications. This is certainly not possible for everyone, but there are ways that you can maximize your value while building a device collection by aiming to hit the largest swath of different types of devices.
You have no obligation to be locked into a contract (or even any service) for a telephone. If you go to a carrier store you can purchase a device at full price and leave the store without activating any service on it (In general, subject to change at the whim of whatever store you are in =) If you intend to by a phone for full price expect the range of prices to be $380-$600. From what I can tell about your situation I would think that a phone is best route for you to start off with. In addition to being able to buy from a carrier, Google also from time to time directly sells a "Nexus" device which is released with stock(ish) android OS (no skins etc..) The current device in this line is the Galaxy Nexus which is being sold directly through the (former) Android Market That is a good choice because it is more or less the latest generation of hardware, and the newest OS (these Nexus devices tend to receive their OS updates in a more timely manner than carrier tied devices). In fact the first Nexus device was marketed heavily toward developers, this line of phones was meant to be used for development.
Is a tablet PC the type of device I should get?
If you intend to create applications for tablets then yes. If you intend to develop phone applications you should really be testing on a phone.
Should I get a device with Android 2.3 or 4.0?
Ideally both on different devices. If you must pick one, then it depends on your budget 4.0 is only on the newest devices right now so they are likely going to be more expensive than some of the devices you can find with 2.3. (although $399 for the Galaxy Nexus might be hard to beat in price, even for some of the 2.3 devices for sale)
In addition to wifi, what else should I look for?
On phones that can be readily purchased in the US your choices are basically boiled down to only a few things. Screen Size (anywhere from tiny to pretty damn big for a phone), HardwareKeyboard(in a few different shapes and sizes), Camera (if you care about it). In general most of the other features are fairly standard (i.e. bluetooth, gps, accelerometer, etc..) The other thing to consider would be "Oomph", despite being called phones what people are carrying around today are small computers. They have CPU, GPU and RAM just the same as PCs. Battery life is the last major divisor, there is a fairly wide range of battery life expectancy (hint, massive screen and multiple cores need lots of battery). However since you don't seem to want to use this device as your phone some of this stuff may not matter as much to you.
Are there any brands/models I should avoid?
Anything in the list of your first ebay link. In general (in the US) the major phone manufactures are: HTC, Motorola, Sony, LG, Samsung. There are many other devices out there that are nice as well. But these guys are generally the ones consistently pumping out the most used phones. Idealy you should aim for a spread of device's made by different manufacturers. The custom skins and addons they like to use in their versions of the OS tend to like extra testing. Having one of each will help you help the largest chunk of your users.
Is there any point in buying used?
There are good deals to be had on nice but slightly dated phones. If you don't know what you are looking at I'd stay away though, it could be easy to get ripped off.

Well it does not seem like you need a very expensive device. Guess you could buy Google's and Samsung's old Nexus S which is not the newest around but still has android 4 because it's Google's "offcial" or something. And since it rolled out with 2.3, you should be able to download the old version somewhere and flash it. That phone should be cheaper, especially second-hand.
I mean since there are so many devices with different screen sizes and all you can't really find one that will reveal what other device-users will think of your apps.

Carrier options should be a non-issue for development. You can buy any Android phone for any
carrier including unlocked, and that should not affect your development flexibility.
Get the lowest version you can have. 2.3 and 2.2 have the most market shares right now. There is no reason to get 4.0, unless you are developing specifically for Android OS 4.0 and above (meaning that you actually use API that only exist on 4.0 and above and not lower).
Your development platform also affects what phone model to use. If you use Windows, get a phone that comes with Windows drivers. It'd be a bummer to buy one only to find out that Windows can't detect it. Mac and Linux do not need drivers, as they are both UNIX based.

You should get a phone. If you don't want to use it you don't have to... but most likely the majority of your users will be on a device. If you want a device that is always up to date and is great for testing I recommend the Galaxy Nexus.
Since most Android phone users are not on the most up to date os version, I prefer testing on a phone with 2.3

If you temporarily need a phone to test your app, Sony Mobile developer program has a phone loaner program in US and Canada where you can borrow a device for up to 30 days.
http://developer.sonymobile.com/wportal/devworld/phones/borrow-a-phone
/Magnus E
Sony Mobile

Android Tablet or iPad for Kiosk Device

We want to place a device in a store that operates as sort of a kiosk device. As in customers walk up to it and start interacting with our custom app. The app could be developed for Android or the iPad, so I'm trying to decide which one to use and would like comments on the following ideas:
Is it possible for Android or iOS to access services over the USB port? This would enable us to disable the network.
Is one particularly better for 24 hour always on?
I like the iPad as I think its supply will be more constant as we move forward and need to replace devices due to ones gone bad. Also, our app will probably work on future generations of the iPad. With Android, I'm not sure there will be that sort of consistency from the tablet vendors.
Kiosk mode? I think with the iPad by putting it in a kiosk case that removes access to the home button and turning on the restrictions we'll get what we want. What about Android? I'd rather not have to get into rooting devices and replacing their firmware.
Remote control? Any way to remotely control iOS or Android in a standard means? Our app will be a client to a master server which will obviously be able to control the app somewhat (when used purely as a display device to a customer, controlled from behind the counter).
My feeling is that neither Android tablets or the iPad is best suited for this. Are there other options?

I will try to answer your points, but know that I am probably biased towards Android, because that is where my experience lies.
With Android 3.1+, at least with the Xoom, you have full USB host capabilities. Things like USB flash/hard drives, keyboards, mice, even digital cameras, all work. If you need custom interop with a USB device, you could go as far as to write a driver for it.
24 hour always on is not good for any device with a battery, but neither is better in this situation.
While android apps are forward-compatible, bad programming practices and/or deviations from "vanilla" Android software and hardware CAN break forward compatibility. That being said, if you grab a Google Experience device like the Xoom, you won't meet as many surprises.
In Android 3.0, the navigation bar is built-in at a low level, and it is not possible for apps to remove it. Therefore, it is trivial for anyone to break a "software nanny."
I know that it is possible to control android devices remotely, but without knowing your specific needs, I can't really offer more information than that.
Good luck!

iPad NOOO believe me I am a convert to Apple for my home and business but when we went to launch kiosk the iPad FAILED Big Time.. Here are a couple of little (Big) issues we ran into.
If the device reboots you cannot auto launch you iPad app since Apple does not allow that.
There is a serious memory leak in the iPads browser. We were running javascript / CSS3 and it cratered intermittently. I literally spent 2 hours "today" on the phone with Apple getting the MAJOR run around. I finally said let me speak to an Enterprise Sales Manager as my project could mean thousands of iPads and I got NO WHERE. One Apple employee even told me they don't have enterprise sales managers.
If those weren't enough even though we are just in the proof of concept phase, we are already getting request for other options. These other options are going to require access to the OS which Apple yea right. We are moving to Android immediately.
Sorry Apple I love you but you loose here.

If your using an Ipad you should consider if it can support the power for the USB thing. Watch this Using Powered USB Port

Your idea about putting the tablet behind another piece of glass/plastic is neat. To then deal with remote controlling, you might consider doing some Bluetooth programming.
My mobile development has been primarily with iOS, so I am biased toward that SDK. I will mention that the data/sync/charge port for iOS has (I believe) never changed. Your Gen 1 iPhone sync cord works on your iPhone 4... and your iPad or iPad 2. So, in terms of third party hardware, you may see more consistency with Apple.
I haven't found a good answer regarding whether it is easier to do Bluetooth programming for iOS or Android, but I think to stay cost-effective, you might see which one is more open to third-party devices. Here is an SO post/answer about iOS and third-party Bluetooth devices; I've not found anything on Android regarding third-party Bluetooth remotes, but considering a lot of hardware running Android is third-party, your chances from a naive perspective seem pretty good. Here's the Android Bluetooth API.
Buying an iOS or Android handheld to remote control an iOS or Android tablet does seem a bit steep, but then again, maybe not. Cost also depends on your ratio of remotes to tablets. 1:1? 1:N? N:1? N:M?
The lowest end iPod goes for $229 as of May 20, 2011. Android does have more variety in terms of hardware. You may be able to get a cheap Android phone with no service plan to act as a Bluetooth remote for an Android tab.

I have provided a solution for the kiosk mode using iPad here Lock-down iPhone/iPod/iPad so it can only run one app
I am afraid that I don't really know for Android if the same thing is possible.
To address the issue of crashing applications you can use an exception trampoline (see discussion here https://blog.compeople.eu/apps/?p=275) to catch the crash and reboot your app.
If the entire device is restarted however then other apps that are on the device can be started and will subsequently be locked in.
To answer your other points:
You can use a configuration profile to control network access. Force it to use a VPN or Proxy that only allows your custom app with embedded credentials to use. That way other network access can be prevented.
Your concern over future compatibility is spot on. The Android marketplace is so fragmented then maintaining a fleet is difficult.
If you have an app that is behaving as a server and is locked in then remote control is possible.

We manufacture tablet kiosks that support both android and iPad devices. In fact we are the only iPad kiosk that has achieved apple approval.
Generally speaking i think you will have an easier time with an iPad as the software and hardware will remain more consistent over time. Which is important if you have to change out a fault unit or deploy more kiosks 6 months or year from now when the original device is no longer manufactured.

How do I output to monitor from android device

I am trying to do a demo on a android device, but the screen is too small so is kinda hard to do a demo let say in a meeting room with 12 people. Although I can pass the device around the table or just simple borrow or get more devices for the demo purposes.
I understand there are devies where you can buy special USB converter to do TV-out like in iPhone, and some specific devices on Android (e.g. Motorola Incredible?) But I have to demo on a specific device where it runs standard Android build.
I understand I can do it on Android emulator but the screen refresh rate is too slow, as it will send the wrong message to the audience that the app is slow. (Or there is a way to increase the screen refresh rate for emulator?) Furthermore the emulator doesn't support multitouch. (Or am I wrong?)
Not sure if anyone

You do not have many options.
You can use Droid#Screen, but the refresh rate on it is maybe 6fps. I am not aware of any other software projector that is faster.
You failed to mention the "specific device" that you are using, so I cannot comment on whether it has TV-out capability. The HTC DROID Incredible and the Samsung Galaxy S series support composite output -- I use the DROID Incredible for this purpose a fair bit. Most of the devices that have HDMI output only support it for certain built-in apps, such as the video player.
You can rent or purchase a device projector, like an ELMO. These are fairly expensive pieces of equipment purchased new, though I see a handful of used ones on eBay at interesting prices (though watch out -- many seem to lack the AC adapter).
If you can delay the demo several months, you may be able to use a Google TV.
And that's about it, AFAIK.
Or there is a way to increase the screen refresh rate for emulator?
Get a faster computer.
Furthermore the emulator doesn't support multitouch. (Or am I wrong?)
I am not aware of a way to simulate multitouch with an emulator, though I have not gone looking for a solution there.

If you have an Galaxy S3 Android mobile phone, you can use Mobizen. It's free and the screen refresh rate is relatively good. You can control you mobile phone from you computer using your mouse and your keyboard. It's working using USB, 3G or Wifi connection.

I have used this Android screencast tool: http://code.google.com/p/androidscreencast/ in past demos, but again the downside is the relatively slow refresh rate.

If you have a rooted device, you could try Droid VNC Server (it's on the market). The refresh rate isn't too bad, but I certainly wouldn't want to demo full motion video or an arcade game on it.
You could also get a webcam, rig it up with a tripod. Something like this. Downside is your hands will be in the way, maybe issues with lighting and/or focus. Upside is a decent refresh rate.

Cheap Wi-Fi enabled Android or other programmable device

Does anyone know of a cheap Android or programmable device that has wifi?
I need it for a project for a company that needs a Wi-Fi handheld device for the shop floor.
I'm not too fussed about the language the device uses though I'm not really interested in the iTouch as there's no intention to release the app in the app store and I don`t really want to jail break everybody's iTouch.
Ideally it would be small, iTouch size for example and relatively cheap $100 or less. Nothing fancy, just ability to write a simple UI and have Wi-Fi. Voice is not needed.
Not too fussed about touch or qwerty keyboard either.

How cheap is cheap? On the weekend I searched eBay for "android slate" and found a bunch at US $99. I bought one immediately. It may not have the world's fastest CPU or a heap o' RAM, but at that price, how can I complain?
Like you, I want to develop apps for use in an industrial situation. I'll list voice as a feature if I use handphones, but don't really need it.
Would you please publish your final purchase decision here and I will likewise if I find a "better" option.
Bear in mind that it's not all about the cheapness of the device and consider the development effort.
Android has at least 2 good things going for it.
1) Generally programmed in Java (although you can use C & C++ if you jump through a few hoops). I may be wrong but it seems that new grads these days only know java (no offence intended to anyone reading this) and even "old hands" with C++ can quickly pick it up.
2) Android was designed from the start for developers and has an excellent development environment and good tools.
I bought a bunch of Android books and really liked Unlocking Android: A Developer's Guide, but you might want to check Amazon for readers 5 star votes.
And I have just noticed Android Wireless Application Development which I will have to buy; I think that you might benefit from it too.
Oh, and if you want to outsource any development at competitive rates ... ;-)

There were some cheap Android devices at http://dealextreme.com