Here is my implementation of shake detection for android.

/* The following code was written by Matthew Wiggins
 * and is released under the APACHE 2.0 license
 *
 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 */
package com.hlidskialf.android.hardware;

import android.hardware.SensorListener;
import android.hardware.SensorManager;
import android.content.Context;
import java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException;

public class ShakeListener implements SensorListener 
{
  private static final int FORCE_THRESHOLD = 350;
  private static final int TIME_THRESHOLD = 100;
  private static final int SHAKE_TIMEOUT = 500;
  private static final int SHAKE_DURATION = 1000;
  private static final int SHAKE_COUNT = 3;

  private SensorManager mSensorMgr;
  private float mLastX=-1.0f, mLastY=-1.0f, mLastZ=-1.0f;
  private long mLastTime;
  private OnShakeListener mShakeListener;
  private Context mContext;
  private int mShakeCount = 0;
  private long mLastShake;
  private long mLastForce;

  public interface OnShakeListener
  {
    public void onShake();
  }

  public ShakeListener(Context context) 
  { 
    mContext = context;
    resume();
  }

  public void setOnShakeListener(OnShakeListener listener)
  {
    mShakeListener = listener;
  }

  public void resume() {
    mSensorMgr = (SensorManager)mContext.getSystemService(Context.SENSOR_SERVICE);
    if (mSensorMgr == null) {
      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Sensors not supported");
    }
    boolean supported = mSensorMgr.registerListener(this, SensorManager.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER, SensorManager.SENSOR_DELAY_GAME);
    if (!supported) {
      mSensorMgr.unregisterListener(this, SensorManager.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
      throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Accelerometer not supported");
    }
  }

  public void pause() {
    if (mSensorMgr != null) {
      mSensorMgr.unregisterListener(this, SensorManager.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER);
      mSensorMgr = null;
    }
  }

  public void onAccuracyChanged(int sensor, int accuracy) { }

  public void onSensorChanged(int sensor, float[] values) 
  {
    if (sensor != SensorManager.SENSOR_ACCELEROMETER) return;
    long now = System.currentTimeMillis();

    if ((now - mLastForce) > SHAKE_TIMEOUT) {
      mShakeCount = 0;
    }

    if ((now - mLastTime) > TIME_THRESHOLD) {
      long diff = now - mLastTime;
      float speed = Math.abs(values[SensorManager.DATA_X] + values[SensorManager.DATA_Y] + values[SensorManager.DATA_Z] - mLastX - mLastY - mLastZ) / diff * 10000;
      if (speed > FORCE_THRESHOLD) {
        if ((++mShakeCount >= SHAKE_COUNT) && (now - mLastShake > SHAKE_DURATION)) {
          mLastShake = now;
          mShakeCount = 0;
          if (mShakeListener != null) { 
            mShakeListener.onShake(); 
          }
        }
        mLastForce = now;
      }
      mLastTime = now;
      mLastX = values[SensorManager.DATA_X];
      mLastY = values[SensorManager.DATA_Y];
      mLastZ = values[SensorManager.DATA_Z];
    }
  }

}

A simple testbed activity

public class ShakeListenerTestActivity extends Activity
{
  private ShakeListener mShaker;

  @Override
  public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
  {
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.main);

    final Vibrator vibe = (Vibrator)getSystemService(Context.VIBRATOR_SERVICE);

    mShaker = new ShakeListener(this);
    mShaker.setOnShakeListener(new ShakeListener.OnShakeListener () {
      public void onShake()
      {
        vibe.vibrate(100);
        new AlertDialog.Builder(Testy.this)
          .setPositiveButton(android.R.string.ok, null)
          .setMessage("Shooken!")
          .show();
      }
    });
  }

  @Override
  public void onResume()
  {
    mShaker.resume();
    super.onResume();
  }
  @Override
  public void onPause()
  {
    mShaker.pause();
    super.onPause();
  }
}