Android app suggestions?

[Jason]

Hey guys,

I finished my Android app programming course and so now I have to do the next stage where I actually start writing my own apps from scratch. I'm wondering if you guys can help give me ideas for something to write. At this stage, I'd probably just release the apps for free, certainly to you guys, at least, as I'm still going to be learning in large part. So here's where I'd like some input:

1) What existing apps do you use the most or are the most essential to your Android device(s)?

2) Are there any downsides or features that you wish they had or annoyances in them that you wish were fixed?

3) Are there any apps that you wish existed?

Feel free to respond to this any time in the future if something comes up that you want to discuss. And you don't have to answer all these questions or exactly - I'm really just looking for ideas of something to get started with that isn't too difficult and maybe, if I'm lucky, make an app that helps people out.

[ssfc72]

I would like an Android Canadian astronomy, yearly calendar app, that could import a database of daily Canadian astronomy info.

This would probably too complex an app to develop, but it sure would be nice to have.

There used to be a paper, yearly calendar, that you could buy in Nov/Dec that was called the Canadian Skywatchers calendar. It was done by a professor at the Saskatchewan university, I believe. It has not been published for years now and that is a terrible shame, to have lost all the Canadian astronomy info/trivia that was noted for each day, in the calendar.

I always wanted to do an electronic version of the Canadian Skywatchers calendar and put together a database each year, of daily astronomy info/trivia of Canadian astronomy.  The Canadian astronomy info could include info on current and past exceptional Canadian astronomers and achievements, etc.

[Jason]

Interesting idea! I think the programming itself wouldn't be that hard but finding the trivia would take a bit of work. Do you know of some good websites for Canadian-specific Astronomy trivia? I guess it wouldn't have to be only Canadian info but maybe this is an app that some people might actually pay for if the price was decent since there likely isn't a Canadian version of such an app.

Have you tried to searching for such an app? Did you find anything even close?

[ssfc72]

The astronomy info would mostly be Canadian related but other astronomy info could also be used.
I don't think it would be too hard to find almost 365 bits of astronomy to put into the database. A search of canadian astronomy books and the internet should do the job.

The beauty of having a database that the astronomy calendar would use, would be that a database could be created for the US market and the app could also be called the United States Astronomy calendar. :-)

[Jason]

I was thinking it would difficult to match every date with something specific that happened in Canada looking at just Canadian astronomers. Certainly there are enough astronomical events to probably fill much of the calendar with trivia about them. But if it doesn't have to something specific that happened on that date, it'd be easier. Do you still have one of your old calendars that I could look at to get a feel for what was done before?

[ssfc72]

Yes any astronomical event happening in that month or day would do, as well.  Unfortunately I don't have an old Canadian Skywatchers calendar to show as an example.

[Jason]

So basically the "box" for each day had some astronomy trivia inside it?

I'm thinking of an app interface that when it first loads up shows the trivia just for that day but then lets you tap a button to see a calendar to choose another day, in case you missed a day or want to look ahead. Could have astronomical events listed too, with the ability to display a reminder on the ones you are interested in. Does that sound useful/interesting?

[ssfc72]

I can't quite remember, but the "box" for some days may have been empty.

I personally would like the app to behave the same way as a standard paper calendar would be seen. For each month, the top page of the astronomy calendar presents a "map" of the night sky showing the major stars and planets that are visible in the night sky for that month and  label the planet names and key stars.

The bottom page of the calendar, shows the whole month and you can see at a glance what events are happening for the whole month.

Maybe you can find some different  astronomy calendars in a store and have a look at them, to see how they show the information.?

[Jason]

I personally would like the app to behave the same way as a standard paper calendar would be seen. For each month, the top page of the astronomy calendar presents a "map" of the night sky showing the major stars and planets that are visible in the night sky for that month and  label the planet names and key stars.

The bottom page of the calendar, shows the whole month and you can see at a glance what events are happening for the whole month.

It might be hard to see the entire month with events on a phone, though, especially with the top half showing a night sky. I can see the whole month using Google Calendar but the text for appointments I can see is really truncated and I have one of the bigger screens, 6"1", I believe. But for a tablet that would be fine.

Thanks for the suggestions.