Newsletter - March 2021

Android / Google Play

• Watch the highlights from The Android Show , including a fireside chat with Android's Dave Burke covering Jetpack Compose and Android 12.
• See the latest from Android Auto apps, now powered by Jetpack and open sourced. 
• Check out the new engagement and monetization metrics in Play Console. 
• Hear how to migrate existing APK expansion files (OBBs) to PAD and other benefits to make games run smoothly. 
• Learn about the reduced minimum price limits for paid apps, in-app products, and subscriptions in 20 new markets across Latin America, EMEA, and APAC.

Firebase / Google Cloud

• Find out how developing with Kotlin can lead to fewer crashes and learn to monitor app stability with Firebase Crashlytics upon release.
• Get tips   on how to continually experiment and assess your ad monetization strategy without negatively impacting in-app purchases.
• Learn how to use Cloud Spanner Commit Statistics to retrieve the total number of mutations for a transaction to better understand and optimize transactions.
• Join Road to Google Cloud Certification, a 6-week program with on-demand content, hands-on labs, and group study sessions in Europe April 19.

Web

• Chrome is shipping to the stable channel every four weeks, down from the current six-week cycle.
• See how Yahoo! JAPAN News used Lighthouse to identify performance issues and increased page views per session by 15%.
• Understand how Agrofy reduced bounce rates and technical debt by optimizing their core web vitals.
• Read the guide on the keyword “this” in Javascript and its value.

Google Maps Platform

• Try the new open source react-wrapper module.  It asynchronously loads the Maps JS API, then automatically renders any child elements in React.
• Read new guidance on managing deprecations from Maps Platform SDKs by specifying dependency versions to control your upgrade timing.
• Learn from Geocasts video walk-throughs featuring recent enhancements like JavaScript promises support and hiding your API key in Android.
• Meet the women leading Google Maps Platform in both technical and business roles as they share their advice for other women in tech.

Developer Community / BIPOC Partner Highlights

• Learn more about the Google for Startups Accelerator: Climate Change. Application deadline is April 1.
• Meet the Google for Startups Accelerator: Canada class, running April 20 - June 24. 
• Read  about Google Cloud Certification training from Google Developer Group communities in India and find a local community near you.
• Get inspired by students in Saudi Arabia teaching small businesses coding skills to help them transition online. Join a local Google Developer Student Club near you.

Open Source and Misc

• Catch Beam day on Google Open Source Live on Thursday, April 1 broadcasted in English and Spanish.
• Register April 1 for 5 Best Practices for World Class API Developer Portals.
• Understand the latest policy changes and requirement updates for certification of Smart Home Actions. 
• Read about the virtual series that are helping the voice tech community meet new demands. 
• Dart 2.12 is available, featuring stable versions of sound null safety and Dart FFI.
• Announcing the ML Kit is now generally available, with the addition of Selfie Segmentation and enhancements to the Pose Detection API. 
• Learn how to update your configuration in Angular applications to get native Tailwind CSS support.