At the end of May, a new venture began to take shape, leveraging the recent advancements in Google Gemini. The objective was straightforward: to create a website chronicling the evolution of Android, aptly named AndroidRewind.com. Although the journey has been somewhat delayed due to various commitments, the aspiration to present a polished final product remained steadfast. The initial design shared was not quite to my liking, prompting a reevaluation of the site’s aesthetics.
Android Rewind serves as a nostalgic homage to Android’s history, tracing its journey since Google acquired Android Inc. in July 2005. I encourage you to explore the site, as it offers a unique blend of history infused with personal insights, making for an engaging experience.
The site aims to present easily digestible snippets about Android’s evolution over the years, featuring several key landing pages:
- Releases – A timeline of every major version of Android: Each entry details the Codename, Release month/year, and Key Features.
- Devices – The hardware that defined generations of Android: Clicking on a device reveals its full name, OEM, release month/year, and a brief description.
- OEMs – The companies behind the Android ecosystem: Select a company to discover its name, primary location, and its impact on the industry.
- Notable Figures – The visionaries behind Android: This section highlights the key individuals who shaped the platform.
Initially, the home page was rather simplistic, featuring just a header and a block of text. This lack of visual appeal led me to prompt Gemini for a more engaging design, which included a background image for the header. Additionally, a “Recent Release History” section was introduced to provide an overview of the last five Android versions.
Most of the images adorning the site were sourced from the extensive archives of Android Central, with a few exceptions for the Figures page and early Android releases. The website logo was also crafted with the help of Gemini, followed by some personal tweaks to achieve the desired look.
Lean on Gemini, or do it yourself
Building Android Rewind entirely with Gemini means there’s no traditional backend or CMS to interact with. After assembling most of the components, I realized I needed a method to edit the content on the page. Opting for simplicity, I requested Gemini to make certain elements editable, only to discover that I could directly edit the website code myself. This flexibility highlights the adaptability of working with Gemini within Google AI Studio. Whether you prefer to let Gemini handle the heavy lifting or take a more hands-on approach, both options are readily available.
A few headaches
Despite Gemini’s capabilities, the journey to create Android Rewind was not without its challenges. One of the more frustrating moments arose when I attempted to revisit the project to implement changes before the final launch. After connecting the app to Google Cloud Run for deployment, I encountered issues that resulted in lost progress. Clicking the “Deploy” button would trigger a pop-up indicating a successful deployment, but it became apparent that I needed to select “Redeploy app” for any code modifications to take effect. This oversight cost me several hours of work, as I mistakenly believed that the Preview window reflected what would appear on the live site.
Another hurdle was editing the code post-deployment. One might assume that returning to the project in AI Studio would allow for seamless continuation, but that was not the case. I had to navigate through the Google Cloud Console to locate the site code, download it as a ZIP file, and then manually transfer the contents back into AI Studio, creating new files as necessary. This process highlighted the advantages of other AI platforms, where continuity is more straightforward, allowing for easy uploads and edits across entire projects.
Looking to the future
Currently, I am pleased with the state of Android Rewind, although I anticipate feedback regarding missing elements. Plans are already in motion to enhance the site further. I intend to enrich the details for each Android Release and Device entry and am considering dedicated OEM pages that would catalog every major device release. While the idea of a comprehensive device history was initially appealing, the sheer volume of devices released by companies like Samsung quickly tempered that ambition.
Moreover, I plan to incorporate devices such as tablets, wearables, and Chromebooks into the narrative, as they play a significant role in Android’s history. However, these additions will be implemented after the initial launch to ensure a timely rollout. Keep an eye on Android Rewind, as updates are expected to come swiftly, with Gemini as a reliable partner in this endeavor.
