I'm beginning to learn mobile programming on the Android platform. I'm up for working with any particular base SDK. I just want to hear some suggestions from the community about what types of applications I should start with to help learn more advanced interactions with the platform.
There are of course the Standard Hello World, calculator, etc. But by now I am bored with all of those.
What do you all make when learning a new language?
Something that excites you.
Something that you would use.
Something that will make your life easier.
Find an app that you like, and improve or redesign it to better suit you.
These aren't things we can find for you. What do you wish your phone could do? Make it happen! Don't worry about others, at least not yet. You're still learning, so it's most important to keep yourself happy and interested.
It's harder to think of a good, useful app that hasn't been written already than to actually write the app. I'm about to start doing the same thing you are. After getting to play with a Droid phone last night I have a couple of ideas. One has to do with aggregating information from various places on the internet so I can see is quickly in one place.
My recipe: Look at API doc, find the coolest abilities of platform, think about project that using them.
For example: For example if You like Location API, and Media Player API, You could write custom music player with mp3 geotaging, then if You also like web programming You could crate web page with "map of music".
Try a Twitter client, it's not a huge project, it will exercise you in online data retrieval, data virtualization and presentation and will encourage you to be creative.
Hello,
When in your situation I decided to write a simple free app that people will actually use. By getting feedback from the users I learned what is important and what not. The market is BRUTAL. If your simple app has any flaws whatsoever you will get very low ratings. I started with a Morse application, and then a Weight Watchers point calculator. I will keep releasing updates for both until I feel it's "perfect".
I also have a a paid app ready to release (BeMeBlackBox) , but I will hold on until I finish learning what it is the users find important.
My point: The coding part is easy. "Pleasing' the users is hard. It is not the same.
Best regards
Hey, I would love to see a live wallpaper that takes advantage of the accelerometer. for example, a static image the same as with android 1.6 but as you tilt the phone to the left, the image moves to the right. This would give you the perception of being able to look around the icons by tilting the phone left/right/up/down.
I know this is a pretty old post but;
How about an app to help adjust your antenna to get the best Digital TV reception?
I'm no developer, but it seems like the components are all there, they just haven't been combined yet (that I can find).
The FCC offers a Google map with antenna locations... http://www.fcc.gov/mb/engineering/maps/
The FCC coverage database is searchable by address (GPS location could be used in Android?)
With a compass overlay added, it seems like a tool could be made that can be laid on top of an arial antenna for perfact alignment.
And I suppose a satellite dish aiming feature could be included to make it even more useful, although an app for that is currently available, for a fee...
Hope you're still listening. : )
I know nothing of programming but I've been looking for day's for an app that would do the following... 1. Be a calendar that integrates with desktop 2. Has a editable task list 3. Has editable check in and out times for each task 4. Accumulates individual time and total time for task and day 5. Has editable rate of pay for each task. 6. Can assign a customer to each task 7. All information can be accessed according to customer totals, task totals, daily, weekly etc 8. Excel compatable
You could write a tutorial instead of an app, because you get to understand things better when you have to explain them clearly.
Also, tutorial or app, I recommend that you use both an Activity and a Service in your app. So called "services" are very useful and a using them help you understand several key concepts about the Android platforms, in my opinion.
About me, I always do audio apps whenever I start a new language platform, because I do audio stuff anyway ;)
But in the mobile world today, I think that "convergence" is a central point: I mean apps which cleverly make a combined use of GPS, imaging, movement/accelerator, compass, sound, etc.. And it's very fun too!
So maybe that you could try and make a very simple app which use many sensors/sources.
Android desperately needs a pdf document signing app like zosh.com for iphone. I constantly need to have documents signed and e-mailed for work and it would be great to be able to use my phone's touch screen.