Google’s Android OS is open-source and allows anyone to create apps for Android-based cell phones. As a hobbyist programmer, I’m really starting to get into this.
I’ve a number of ideas for some apps I’d like to write (such as a graphing calculator app and a videoconferencing app), and while I’m fairly skilled at Java programming, I’m new to the software development kit (SDK) and don’t have enough experience with it yet to bring my ideas to realization.
So I’m asking Android users: In the meantime, to hone my skills, what sort of simple to moderate apps (or games) do you wish you could have? Post it here with the features you want and I’ll try my best to make it happen. I can’t guarantee any sort of timeline, but it doesn’t cost you anything to throw your ideas at me.
Additionally, I will post my completed code for review by others.
Good idea making this thread, when I lost my programming job a year ago I familiarized myself with the Android SDK enough for a ‘Hello World’ app, but then hit a roadblock when I had no ideas!
While I was hiking recently I thought of an app idea that seemed useful. How hard would it be to take a picture (jpeg would be fine) of a map and scale and orient it using two known points? I was thinking that I could orient the map using two trail intersections or the “You are here” boards so that I could see where on the trails I was even if they aren’t visible by satellite.
I know Google’s MyTracks app tracks location, but I haven’t seen anything that will scale/orient maps.
For some reason, the Droid doesn’t come with any sort of a missed call/text alert. There’s a handful of apps out there that do it, but they all seem to only kind of work.
What I’d like to see is an app that checks for missed calls, missed text messages and watches for emails to come in, then I’d like to be able to set the alert (ringtone/vibrate/led color) and how often the alert (the ringtone and vibrate part, the LED should always be blinking) goes off and I want to have a different one for texts, calls, and each of my email accounts so when I see my phone I know what it is I missed.
Also, here’s another one, the Droid has a built on Email app and a separate one for Gmail…both of them are garbage. I can’t tell you how often I get an email and when I look at it I see that it’s one that I delete hours ago, but for some reason it’s coming in as new. Is there a way to build a new email client that can handle AOL/Pop3/Gmail etc…and do a good job?
I don’t have the skill to do something like this yet, but whether or not this app would work depends on your definition of “point”. Are the two points you’re referencing signposts? Trees? The corner where Jed shot the 'possum?
What app may be possible is one where you select your starting point on Google Maps, and through use of the accelerometer as a pedometer and a compass (already available for Android), the app may be able to roughly estimate where you are without a GPS. That algorithm, however, would have to be adjusted to take elevation into account.
Now this is something I may be able to do. I imagine what you want would be a widget on your homescreen that displays the number of missed calls and new texts and emails. Press a number on the widget, and the corresponding call log, text, or email client will load. Hold down anywhere on the widget, and you can adjust your alert preferences.
As far as an email client, I don’t think I can help you there. Your issue probably occurs because Gmail and your phone aren’t talking to each other 100% of the time. I doubt I can produce anything better than Google can.
I really, REALLY want a grocery shopping application.
Typo Knig and I use something on our Palm handhelds, called HandyShopper.
There’s one out there that seems nifty but it’s missing one VERY key feature that we use in HandyShopper: the ability to keep track of items, which stores carry them, and what aisle they’re in, in each store. e.g. if I’m at Safeway #1, bread is in aisle 3 and milk is in aisle 18; at Giant $1 they’re in 6 and 8 respectively etc. The existing app also does not presently support sorting your list by aisle (though they are planning to add that at some point).
There’s a tool for the iPhone that does this, but we’re really interested in the Droid. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the availability of such a tool will be a MAJOR deciding factor when we are ready to make the move.
I will say that aside from the multi-stores, aisles-in-each-store feature, the Droid tool I mention seems pretty nice and the folks were tremendously responsive when I emailed them to ask about the features I want.
I had thought the app would use the GPS data, and I wanted to select a point on the JPEG and say “I am here now” then walk to the next point I could clearly identify and tell it “now I am over here”, using the relative locations of the points to scale the map for use with the GPS over the rest of the hike.
The place where google maps fails me is not in being unable to find my location, but rather unable to locate that on a trail map that has no latitude/longitude indications or scale. I figured that my overlay of GPS data on the cheap trail map would be inexact but thought it would be a good way to figure out whether the next trail intersection was just around the corner. Heck, if it plotted my path, I could perhaps get a sense for the amount of distortion in the cheap map.
Of course, if this doesn’t interest you, I’ll drop it. I suspected it might not be as easy as it sounded to me, and I’m not sure how big the market would be for hikers with poor maps.
Funny you should mention this… I had the same idea! I suppose the app would keep a database of items… if you add a new one (either manually or by using the Barcode Scanner app), it’ll permanently add it to the database. That way you can throw together a grocery list very quickly simply by picking items from the database. Hold down on the item, and a screen will pop up allowing you to edit stores, aisles, prices, and miscellaneous notes. The app might be even be able to automatically search for discounts on your items and alert you.
I wouldn’t be able to make something like this overnight, but I’ll see what I can come up with.
It’s not that I have no interest, it’s just that I don’t think I’m understanding what you want.
You take Google’s GPS data and interpolate them on to a JPEG map. How would the phone know what two points you want to enter? How do you want the map scaled?
How about a somewhat simpler orientation app. Instead of looking at signposts, touch a location on a map, and have the app point you in the right direction. Would be especially handy in New York where even natives sometimes have to orient themselves when coming out of a reasonably unfamiliar subway stop.
I think I get what is being asked for, and it sounds pretty useful. Here is how it could be used:
[ol]
[li]You park your car at the trailhead, where there is a “you are here” map of the trail system.[/li][li]You take a photo of the map with your application.[/li][li]The application prompts you to select the point on the map picture that corresponds with your current location. The application associates this with your current GPS location.[/li][li]You walk a mile to the first trail branch, one that you recognize on the map. The application prompts you to select the point on the map picture that corresponds with your current location. The application associates this with your current GPS location.[/li][li]Based on knowing the actual GPS locations of two points on the 2D map, the application can take your future GPS locations and extrapolate from this your current location on the map image. Meaning you can see your current location plotted on the map.[/li][/ol]This could be made even more useful by being able to download map images off the internet instead of having to take a photo. That way if the map is already available you won’t introduce distortions through your photo. Also, a website for sharing maps where someone has already done this work would be useful.
This exactly!
The reason I thought of JPEG was actually because I can sometimes get trail maps from the internet. I had not thought of downloading maps with included orientation information.
There would still be distortion from the map drawing, so using this for skiing would be tricky, but for hiking I think it should result in a usable map.
I know my HTC Hero for Sprint doesn’t support the LED color change (dumbbbb, and not in keeping with the open source nature of Android development) btu the rest of the features make it sound like what you’re looking for.
I switched from a Palm Centro to the HTC Hero on Sprint and while I love it, I miss the day agenda view that the Palm OS had like whoa. I can sort of fake it with Pure Calendar’s widget but it’s buggy and fails often and I have to delete it and re-add it. That’s my single biggest complaint. I want to be able to turn on my phone and see at a glance what I have going on that day. How I miss the agenda view.
At this point, I think this app would be far out of my level of skill. I think I would also need to actually sit down with you to hash out how the app would work.
Hey, easily done! Anyone wanna volunteer their boobs?
