Android validation (decompilation) tools

So Jenkins is building and archiving lovely APKs with timestamps in versionName!  People are testing directly out of DropBox.  Got a bug report but need to see which APK it came from!
Goal: Extract human-readable versionName from APK.
Two-liner answer after the break!

Using a Linux android emulator server

Situation: You have a fast lots-of-memory Linux desktop box (perhaps remote) to run your Android emulators on and a desktop machine running your IDE.  How best to debug remotely?
SSH port-forwarding instructions for Windows (and others) after the break.

Tacking to pick up the Droid trade wind

Well, wow a lot's happened since that last post.  My Father died (yep, "To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."), decided to re-evaluate life and left Malden Labs.  I had a great time there; learned, saw and did lots; met a tonne of interesting people and wouldn't have missed it for anything.  However, I always fancied being master and commander of my own boat so am taking The Good Ship UGS (my half-comically, half-seriously named company) to sea.  Initially with some Android app and game writing but we'll see which way the wind blows.  Android appeals since I've been Java programming since '96 and the current current at last seems strong enough to carry us to promised lands (and/or cities of gold).  To top it off, as an ideas person, I'm slightly sickened by the slew of recent business successes that are depressingly (or reassuringly) similar to previous ideas.  (I'm sure this isn't unusual but that doesn't make it less sickening ;-) )

So starting simple and trying to focus on failing fast with delicious early feedback, first projects will be a 2D casual game using AndEngine and a personal-itch scratching Android RememberTheMilk Sharer utility (surely it's not that hard to catch the SEND intent, offer to store to RTM with some processing to tidy-up common content.)

Never fear, our regular yak programming will continue (even more so now since I won't be posting on internal blogs and wikis!) but maybe there'll even be some non-yak content!  Ok, time for a calming lie down ;-)