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My biggest obstacle in getting into Android development is thinking of ideas for apps to make. It seems especially hard to think of simple ideas that would mak

My biggest obstacle in getting into Android development is thinking of ideas for apps to make. It seems especially hard to think of simple ideas that would make a good first project. When I try to sit down and do a "toy" app to learn the platform better I find myself getting bored because I'm not excited about the app I'm making. Does anyone have an advice on finding or coming up with ideas? Or better yet, does anyone need a simple app made? (Maybe I should do an offer HN if that's still around).

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
parfe 16y ago
>My biggest obstacle in getting into Android development is thinking of ideas for apps to make. I just got a Droid X. I had been trying to brainstorm ideas for dev'ing on it but realized on my commute home yesterday that was the wrong way, for me, to go about it. Basically I need to just use the phone and anytime I think "wow, i could really use X to do Y" go and try to find X, and if I can't maybe work out a plan for developing X myself. Like on my commute, I have several routes I can take. I got the idea to make an app that collects statistics based on time of day, route, speed/traffic that will help predict which route is the best depending on when I leave the office. And hey! It already exists. But can I compete? Or should I just be happy someone already did the work for me?
- tocomment 16y ago
  Wow, I had that exact same idea! Does it already exist? I figured it wouldn't be a good first project, but maybe. Also GPS kills my battery in under two hours on the incredible :-(
  - parfe 16y ago
    For this specific idea, the battery is irrelevant as you have ready access to a car charger. CommuteTrack[1] is the app I found. It's listed for $5.00 but I haven't purchased it so I can't comment on the quality or functionality. [1] http://frequal.com/CommuteTrack/index.html http://frequal.com/CommuteTrack/index.html
zitterbewegung 16y ago
You could try brainstorming with your friends to think up apps to be made. Maybe you could also submit an ask hn.
- tocomment 16y ago
  All my friends are non-technical (or at least completely uninterested in mobile apps.) I'm not sure how that happened actually ...
  - hippich 16y ago
    non-technical friends is your best bet for best ideas! just listen what they need, what they complain about, etc.
  - blntechie 16y ago
    I can easily say more than 80% (might be well more than that, just taking android into case) of users are non technical and taking their needs in a mobile phone might turn out to be a great idea.
RyanMcGreal 16y ago
If I had time to develop an android app (it's on my to-do list), I'd develop an app that pretty-prints JSON objects fetched from URLs.
- dtwwtd 16y ago
  I recently did this for a 24 hour competition and even something as simple as this helped me learn a lot. (I had no prior Java or Android experience)

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

parfe 16y ago

>My biggest obstacle in getting into Android development is thinking of ideas for apps to make. I just got a Droid X. I had been trying to brainstorm ideas for dev'ing on it but realized on my commute home yesterday that was the wrong way, for me, to go about it. Basically I need to just use the phone and anytime I think "wow, i could really use X to do Y" go and try to find X, and if I can't maybe work out a plan for developing X myself. Like on my commute, I have several routes I can take. I got the idea to make an app that collects statistics based on time of day, route, speed/traffic that will help predict which route is the best depending on when I leave the office. And hey! It already exists. But can I compete? Or should I just be happy someone already did the work for me?

tocomment 16y ago
Wow, I had that exact same idea! Does it already exist? I figured it wouldn't be a good first project, but maybe. Also GPS kills my battery in under two hours on the incredible :-(
- parfe 16y ago
  For this specific idea, the battery is irrelevant as you have ready access to a car charger. CommuteTrack[1] is the app I found. It's listed for $5.00 but I haven't purchased it so I can't comment on the quality or functionality. [1] http://frequal.com/CommuteTrack/index.html http://frequal.com/CommuteTrack/index.html

zitterbewegung 16y ago

You could try brainstorming with your friends to think up apps to be made. Maybe you could also submit an ask hn.

tocomment 16y ago
All my friends are non-technical (or at least completely uninterested in mobile apps.) I'm not sure how that happened actually ...
- hippich 16y ago
  non-technical friends is your best bet for best ideas! just listen what they need, what they complain about, etc.
- blntechie 16y ago
  I can easily say more than 80% (might be well more than that, just taking android into case) of users are non technical and taking their needs in a mobile phone might turn out to be a great idea.

RyanMcGreal 16y ago

If I had time to develop an android app (it's on my to-do list), I'd develop an app that pretty-prints JSON objects fetched from URLs.

dtwwtd 16y ago
I recently did this for a 24 hour competition and even something as simple as this helped me learn a lot. (I had no prior Java or Android experience)