For those interested in the more technical side of Android as a mobile OS, or even fancy dabbling in the creation of applications for their Android based phone, Pragmatic Programmers series has published a ground up introduction to Android development. The best part about this is selected chapters are free, including chapters on building User Interfaces and 2D graphics.

Available for only $22 in PDF form (soft-back and hard-back are also available), this book starts with the basics of installing and using the Android SDK for testing your newfangled applications. For the strong of mind, it also covers more advanced topics including location based services such as GPS and cell-tower triangulation. It certainly looks promising for part time developers that are curious about what they can do with their Android device and a great way to overcome the barriers to entry when starting a new programming experience.

In other Android book news, the infamous ‘for Dummies’ series has covered the T-Mobile G1. If the G1 user manual leaves you wanting more, Chris Ziegler of Engadget fame has written on all aspects of the G1 and covers everything from web browsing through to the basic set up of the phone itself.