Following is an example of how to use the Android accelerometer and orientation API’s. This example is based on Frank Ableson’s “Tapping into Android’s sensors” article over at IBM DeveloperWorks. I’ve made a change to the UI to use the Android TableView and implemented it as a Resource.
To get going, all you need to do is
- Create a new Android
project
- Replace the contents of main.xml with the xml in this sample
- Replace the contents of your Activity class with the code in this sample
Following is the new main.xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<TableLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
android:layout_width="fill_parent"
android:layout_height="fill_parent"
android:stretchColumns="1">
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accelerometer_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="Accelerometer"
android:textSize="9pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accel_x_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="X:"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accel_x_value"
android:gravity="right"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accel_y_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="Y:"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accel_y_value"
android:gravity="right"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accel_z_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="Z:"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/accel_z_value"
android:gravity="right"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<View
android:layout_height="2dip"
android:background="#FF909090" />
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orientation_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="Orientation"
android:textSize="9pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orient_x_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="X:"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orient_x_value"
android:gravity="right"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orient_y_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="Y:"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orient_y_value"
android:gravity="right"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
<TableRow>
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orient_z_label"
android:layout_column="1"
android:text="Z:"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
<TextView
android:id="@+id/orient_z_value"
android:gravity="right"
android:textSize="8pt"
android:padding="3dip" />
</TableRow>
</TableLayout>
Following is the new Android Activity Java class
package com.blogspot.mobilestrategist;
import com.blogspot.mobilestrategist.R;
import android.app.Activity;
import android.hardware.Sensor;
import android.hardware.SensorEvent;
import android.hardware.SensorEventListener;
import android.hardware.SensorManager;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.widget.TextView;
public class AccelOrientExample extends Activity implements SensorEventListener {
// Accelerometer X, Y, and Z values
private TextView accelXValue;
private TextView accelYValue;
private TextView accelZValue;
// Orientation X, Y, and Z values
private TextView orientXValue;
private TextView orientYValue;
private TextView orientZValue;
private SensorManager sensorManager = null;
/** Called when the activity is first created. */
@Override
public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
// Get a reference to a SensorManager
sensorManager = (SensorManager) getSystemService(SENSOR_SERVICE);
setContentView(R.layout.main);
// Capture accelerometer related view elements
accelXValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.accel_x_value);
accelYValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.accel_y_value);
accelZValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.accel_z_value);
// Capture orientation related view elements
orientXValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.orient_x_value);
orientYValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.orient_y_value);
orientZValue = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.orient_z_value);
// Initialize accelerometer related view elements
accelXValue.setText("0.00");
accelYValue.setText("0.00");
accelZValue.setText("0.00");
// Initialize orientation related view elements
orientXValue.setText("0.00");
orientYValue.setText("0.00");
orientZValue.setText("0.00");
}
// This method will update the UI on new sensor events
public void onSensorChanged(SensorEvent sensorEvent) {
synchronized (this) {
if (sensorEvent.sensor.getType() == Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER) {
accelXValue.setText(Float.toString(sensorEvent.values[0]));
accelYValue.setText(Float.toString(sensorEvent.values[1]));
accelZValue.setText(Float.toString(sensorEvent.values[2]));
}
if (sensorEvent.sensor.getType() == Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION) {
orientXValue.setText(Float.toString(sensorEvent.values[0]));
orientYValue.setText(Float.toString(sensorEvent.values[1]));
orientZValue.setText(Float.toString(sensorEvent.values[2]));
}
}
}
// I've chosen to not implement this method
public void onAccuracyChanged(Sensor arg0, int arg1) {
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
}
@Override
protected void onResume() {
super.onResume();
// Register this class as a listener for the accelerometer sensor
sensorManager.registerListener(this, sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_ACCELEROMETER), SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_NORMAL);
// ...and the orientation sensor
sensorManager.registerListener(this, sensorManager.getDefaultSensor(Sensor.TYPE_ORIENTATION), SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_NORMAL);
}
@Override
protected void onStop() {
// Unregister the listener
sensorManager.unregisterListener(this);
super.onStop();
}
}
by John Welch of 
.com.
team and brings them one step closer to parity with myriad Exchange hosters. While, in my biased opinion, this capability does not constitute an enterprise class device management solution, I do think that the recognition that organizations want to connect mobile devices to enterprise IT services means that Google is listening to their customers. It also means that Google Apps is becoming more applicable to a wider variety of users, and end-points. These administrative controls, as Google calls them, allow Google Apps admins to set password policies for mobile devices connecting in via Google Sync. An admin can also remotely wipe a mobile device in case it is lost or stolen. Both of these features are critical security measures for enterprises leveraging mobile technology. An interesting omission in all of this however is lack of support for Google's own Android. I imagine Google will remedy this over time, either by adding deeper support for Exchange ActiveSync to the Android platform, including support for security policies, or by some Google proprietary method.