Android Developers! Here’s a phone-load of free ideas

android logoYeah, I’m a little excited while I sit and wait for my T-Mobile G1 to be delivered. During this waiting period that nearly every geek worth their weight in Apple will experience, I’ve been reading  reviews, opinions, development docs, looking up existing applications and so on.

During this time I’ve been thinking about the things that Google did & didn’t put in the phone. I’ve been pondering the criticism and the early praise for the device, and I’ve started thinking about what I want out of the G1, and through this I’ve come up with a list of possible application ideas for some “Rock Star” android developers. So here they are.

Media/Communications

  • Video Camcorder App (since Google left this out!)
  • Adobe Flash Player
  • Flickr Uploader
  • QIK & Seesmic Video Client
  • A Slingbox client
  • A Kick-But Media Player
  • Rhapsody client, iTunes Client, and so on
  • Skype, GrandCentral, ooVoo Clients

image Social Media

  • Twitter Client
  • Facebook (and other social networks) Client that supports pic/vid/audio uploads
  • Find a way to use the accelerometer as an input device – specifically for scrolling. (Ok, yes like the information pads from STNG that the crew would simply tilt back & forth to scroll the information on the device – geeky I know.)

Drivers/Input

  • Bluetooth AD2P Stereo Headphone Support
  • Bluetooth HID support for keyboards (Specifically my older ThinkOutside Bluetooth Keyboard please!)
  • Bluetooth HID support for Mice
  • Multi-Touch input drivers (I believe Google didn’t do this because of IP concerns – I’m probably wrong)

Productivity

  • Google Reader App (How’d they miss this?)
  • Google Docs App (Gears… Hello!)
  • Note taking app (I’d like one that integrates/syncs with Microsoft OneNote, but others like Evernote)
  • Full Screen Keyboard
  • Blogging client similar to Windows Live Writer
  • Weather App (Forecasts, Maps, etc…)
  • Support for email signing/encryption certificates
  • Travel App (This one could be cooler than they have been to date: detect location via GPS, set correct time/date, download current weather, look up local restaurants automatically and present by breakfast/lunch/dinner times, download current exchange rates, more…?)

Heck, I’m just listing off things I want – but look at the device and think of the G1 as a PC rather than a phone. Remember, with 3G, GPS, accelerometer, touch interface, camera, access to your Gmail Contacts & Calendar, Maps, etc… what could you build using a combination of these hardware and soft resources? What if…? Since Android is an open platform, you can replace even the core components of the software suite: dialer, browser, email, input drivers, camera software… it’s endless.

Ok, now that I’ve demonstrated that I’m an Android fan-boy, I’m going to go back to work. Have fun!

Take my post ideas. Please!

Sometimes I spend time just generating ideas for blog posts, and they make it into this list or that notebook (though you couldn’t tell by my current lack of posts ;). While I can’t claim this idea is original, I do indeed want to share this list – I’ll probably not use them in the near term and it may be inspiration to someone to write a great post that I’d love to read.

So without further rambling, here is a list of 50 blog post ideas (kinda heavy on social media), for you to take and repurpose for your needs.

  1. Working your social media juju
  2. Training your ninjas
  3. How organizations can’t succeed with the social web
  4. How organizations can succeed with the social web
  5. Why don’t we "offshore" to middle America?
  6. Looking for the fast buck? Try looking for fast customer satisfaction instead.
  7. Don’t wait for your brand to succeed, make it succeed
  8. Internet Rock Stars and other fairy tales
  9. Like the A-List? It gets even better on the Z-List
  10. Don’t read the news, make the news
  11. Your time is now
  12. Success is defined by those wishing to achieve it
  13. Success doesn’t define you, you define success
  14. Social media is like good BBQ, mmmm
  15. Have a product? Build a community.
  16. Blog your way to a better job
  17. Yes, it’s easy to say…
  18. It isn’t about social media, it’s about being social
  19. Why social media isn’t about selling anything
  20. Building a better branded you
  21. Host an event – here’s how!
  22. Social Media Ninja – Tools of the Trade
  23. Wishing is good – doing is better
  24. Walk tall, blog proud
  25. Taking the work out of blog ideas – 100 topics for your blog
  26. Personal Brand: It is about you
  27. Corporations and Facebook: They do mix
  28. Getting Buy-In from the Mail Room: Why it’s important to include people who do real work
  29. Hosting an event? Check in with these folks.
  30. I’m not dead, I just don’t blog
  31. You’re Dad’s blogging – what do you do now?
  32. Things social medians could learn from an old-time community social
  33. Your Grandparents Were Social Media Gurus – Here’s Why
  34. Busy? Just press pause.
  35. We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.
  36. Are you a social giver or a media taker? Here’s how to find out.
  37. A bridge to nowhere – the promise of social media that was.
  38. Social Media’s Red Light District – Beware
  39. Following the white rabbit of social media
  40. Brand identification – why your picture is important
  41. When it rains in social media land, do you build an ark?
  42. Giving 100 ideas away
  43. But wait! There’s more!
  44. Things I wish I had known when I started blogging
  45. Things I wish I had known when I started social networking
  46. Corporate social media and other oddities
  47. Changing the focus of your blogs topic
  48. There’s a blog post in here somewhere
  49. Wishing isn’t as good as doing
  50. Social Media Success Stories from the Road

If you don’t mind, I’d love a link back to this post or my blog if you use one of the titles verbatim, if only so I can follow up and read yours.  Don’t sweat it if you don’t want to. Have fun!

Happy Birthday Jon

Jon Swanson by Jon Swanson I wanted to write a different post wishing Jon a happy 50th birthday, but he didn’t want that. Instead, Jon suggested 8 ways to celebrate his birthday.  You see, Jon has a way of finding the truth of things and sharing them. He’s brought many of the best ideas forward on his blog, and in person, in a way to make a person think of them in new ways. I always like that.

Jon, you asked for us to try and do one of those 8 things, and I’m glad to say I do two of them every day (makes me think I’m doing better at being the person I want to be than I thought)!  So I see a couple more that I can do today, and will do so in honor of your birthday.

So, Happy Birthday Jon – and thank you for giving us ideas on how to give back.

🙂

Photo Credit: Jon Swanson (of course!)

Thinking about FADs

'fad' by Boskizzi Do you ever get tired of the phrase "social media"?

I don’t get tired of the concepts, methodology, and excitement that encompasses what so many of us are doing or trying to do. However, I do get tired of hearing "social media" about everything. It’s like labeling everything "green" or "eco-friendly". I’m not against those concepts either, but I sure am tired of hearing the phrases.

How do we engage people and business without repeating the hype? What good are buzzwords anyway, other than to evangelize something? Where is the substance for business to bite into, for them to more easily recognize the opportunities within the hot new trends of social media?

There are several people who manage to convey the concepts and ideas of social media without needing to promote the hype. Their deeds in writing and working on the topic is an inspiration to follow. Similar to all the people who quietly recycle, cut back fuel consumption, or practice renewable techniques in more and more areas. They too don’t feel the need to worship at the alter of "green", yet their actions make the bulk of the difference.

I guess what I’m working towards is the real, usable, tools and techniques that make up "social media". I’m looking to work with those companies that are confused, and help them figure out what their business needs. Past all the buzzwords, past the fads, past the hype and into the needs of an organization and finding the right tool for them to use for the right purpose.

My question is: What have I missed that you believe is important to that end?

Photo credit: Boskizzi

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