Have a break, have a KitKat

The Google Android operating system has gone through a number of names, that include: Ice Cream Sandwich and recently Jelly Bean. The next iteration needs to have a 'K' and Google have opted for KitKat(R)! Yes the original biscuit bar, and at the time of writing this post, there were obvious links to both products! 

First of all I thought it was a spoof, but the reality is they are completely serious. The most refreshing part is that there is no actual money changing hands between Nestle and Google. There appears to be a mutual agreement to use the logo and name, the Google team apparently have KitKat's as their late night programming chocolate snacks (Source: BBC News).  I think it is good to see companies using their products in clever ways. :)  Roll on the new update for KitKat 4.4 on Android systems! Enjoy the video :)

Bridging the gap between web designer and mobile app developer

I've managed to squeeze in some time in the last few days to experiment with some of the
improving technologies for mobile app development. Namely: PhoneGap, granted it's nothing new as it has been around for a fair while. Where I think it's really making a difference is being included in Abobe Dreamweaver CS5.5, fantastic, thank you Adobe! This version allows regular web designers/coders to utilise their skills to produce mobile applications. It includes a starter template that has been coded using the popular jQuery Mobile (a javascript library framework for mobile devices). Of course this also offers developers a route to accessing certain hardware functionality for devices. Essentially the web designer builds a website suitable for a specific screen resolution (mobile device) and then converts it to app.

For me, using any browser based technologies are a fantastic way to go, as there is good standardisation across devices to helps develop in HTML(5), CSS and Javascript. It's not all handed on a plate, as I'm finding it necessary to learn a new skill set for mobile interface design/development. Apps are certainly the buzz word these days but there is predominately a huge amount of effort involved in creating them. This coupled with different rules for distribution across platforms, makes life difficult for the educational developer, or any developer for that matter.

For example, at the time of writing, it is not possible to distribute iPhone of iPad apps via email or file-sharing systems, as Apple has chosen to do everything through iTunes. Granted there is a good emulator that allows you to see this working, but nothing beats testing it on the device first hand. Where as, Android allows users have the ability to install 3rd party applications (Android users, look for the options in settings > applications, see Andorid 3.2 screenshot).

I find that throwing the installer APK files for Android into Dropbox a very convenient way of testing or sharing your work with others. Equally APK files are recognised in email attachments, another way to distribute (small) applications. It's a free and easy way for academia to test and use apps, without getting into developer licencing and some of the headaches associated with that...

I think for the moment the important thing to remember is that desktop and mobile development are different, the key to effective app creation is understanding what constitutes a good app. Throwing an 'app in progress' onto the markets can lead to very harsh and unforgiving feedback, there is a lot of work to be done before it's good enough.

I think apps have their place, but one thing that concerns me is creating Apps for the sake of creating them. Usually most things can go into a trusty web browser. This can easily be made offline and probably do just as much as an app (if you know how to tap into the hardware) it just takes a little careful programming. A fusion of the two is probably the best way to do these things, although, with application space being a precious as gold on some devices, can we justify it? I think this will be an interesting exercise in trial and error...with some honest user feedback thrown in...

Testing Toshiba Technologies

I was lucky to stumble across a Toshiba demonstration today (at Plymouth University), a chance to play with some new technologies. It included a mix of their laptops and also the new Qosmio F750 Toshiba Laptop 3D. Which interestingly requires no 3D glasses (a bit like the Nintendo 3DS). Where it differs to most 3D systems is that the webcam follows your eyes in order to obtain the best 3D effect. Interestingly if too many people crowded the screen it made for a more confusing picture. That said, it was very impressive and even at odd viewing angles there was some 3D effect. I felt the overall image made the characters, backgrounds and foregrounds in the film feel a bit like flat animated 2D objects placed at varying distances, although the depth of field was certainly effective. I cant say at the moment that I'm convinced with 3D, its a big improvement over older attempts, but it still looks a bit synthetic. There is of course the concern that some may still feel a bit nauseous watching for any length of time.

They also brought along the Toshiba Thrive tablet (pad), using Android 3.1, which I was pleased to see. It was relatively quick and smooth, but probably not quite up to its competitors, such as the Asus EeePad and Motorola Zoom. I felt the screen was a little washed out, but this is only a minor point. It had a range of connectivity including SD Card, HDMI, USB and the ability to swap batteries easily (the back cover could be changed to any colour you like). It was claimed that battery life was around 8 hours, but there was no means of testing how well that worked today... Thanks to all involved for letting me crash the party...

Offline mapping for fieldwork? - Google Maps for Android

For many years now I have been using and advocating offline mapping software for fieldwork in technology enhance learning applications. This is software that does not rely on any internet connection and allows the user to add their own maps in GPS based applications. Why? Well there are many occasions that using a map in a remote location becomes an issue because there is no data connection. The reality is that if anything is going to hinder students learning, it's waiting for a map to load...

So I was very very pleased to find that 'Google Maps for Android' are now allowing several square mile sections of maps (as explained in this article) to be saved on your mobile device. At the moment I have no idea how well this will work, as its only just been released. But this is how it works for those interested in trying:

• Update your Google Map to the latest version.
• Open 'Maps' on your android device > press Menu > More > Labs (Labs are test area for applications Google are experimenting with) > Download map area
• Once active simply click and hold in a central point of your chosen location
• Open the icon that appears and select the bottom option 'Download map area'
• It will show it is downloading and then a black square border will appear showing the area that is saved to your device. It should still show your map with both data and Wifi turned off!

Sadly it only downloads basic road maps, so no satellite maps available (but its a fantastic start!) Lets hope this trend moves onto the other mapping services such as the excellent educational sources provided by Edina. This could really help education for many science and technology based fieldwork locations here at Plymouth University!

Google if you're listening, the ability to download satellite maps or even to use my maps (my spaces) with way-points etc included would be fantastic!

Barcode Creation

Thought I would share a useful find, something I had been testing for potential TEL projects.  Its a handy bar code creator on TEC-IT website. Allows users to create specific barcodes with any alpha numerical text! Its free for non-commercial use..., hence the logo below, thank you TEC-IT ;)

Barcode Software

Yes this one also says 'Hello World!'.

Try Barcode Scanner on the Android to test it out, works a treat! 

Mscape now available on the HP website.

The Mscape software that many of have used is no longer available from the www.mscapers.com website as the site has been pulled down (forums and all!), users are now greeted with an error message. A particularly sad demise of a perfectly usable website and software, which had a very active user base. Fortunately the software can still be found on the Hewlett Packard Labs website, but with extremely limited information on building your own mediascape. At the time of writing this post, Create-A-Scape still provides users with their own method for creating mediascapes, though you will need to use the HP lab link to download the last version of MScape. So those of us with Windows Mobile GPS enabled PDAs can still continue to enjoy the software.

Some of the original Mscape software developers have now formed a company called Calvium. Currently the company has published a GPS Draw software for the iPhone.  There is indication that they are programming for the Android too, which is good news. I had heard through various sources that they were considering software 'similar' to Mscape, but of course due to copyrights etc, it will not be Mscape!

The main feature of Mscape which is particularly appealing, is the ability to use your own maps.  When building teaching and learning materials for remote fieldwork locations, you don't really want to be depending on your 3G networks, for two main reasons: cost and availability.  What does the future hold? There are applications coming out on the Android Market, such as MapDroyd, that allows users to down load a whole country or even the world, for free! This application of course uses the popular open source map Open Street Map, the very same map source functionality added to MScape not long before its demise. Here's looking forward to a greater wealth of mobile applications for teaching and learning!

Mscape and other logos are the property of their respective owners.

Google App Inventor for Android

Im keeping a keen eye out on mobile devices software that have some educational potential and functionality that relate to the science and technology disciplines and could be made freely available to students. Google have now released an application 'inventor' for its android based phones. Its esentially a way to write your own 'Apps' without actually getting involved with the nitty gritty of hard core programming. Its very much a visual programming language. I think their video says it all, with a basic example.

For me the bit Im excited about is that to quote Google:

"...App Inventor provides access to a GPS-location sensor, you can build apps that know where you are. You can build an app to help you remember where you parked your car, an app that shows the location of your friends or colleagues at a concert or conference, or your own custom tour app of your school, workplace, or a museum."

A piece of free software that allows access to the GPS is good news for field work as far as Im concerned. It will be interesting to see how good this software is...