Database Info

Over the Air install site

I've started a new site, http://www.otainstall.com, that is designed to let you quickly install apps from PocketIE on your phone. I originally posted it over at ppcgeeks and the users there seem to be pretty happy with it.
It's password protected for now, just to keep the volume limited a bit. You can log in with the password 'blahblah'.
It's pretty new, so please let me know any bugs that you find. Also note that you should be able to upload apps to the site so that others can download them.
I'll be taking suggestions on category name improvements, etc..
Let me know what you think!

Nice idea! One thing that might be useful is a "Back" button embedded in the page: Make it better for full screen browsing.

Double Awesome
Thanks a lot. What exactly can I upload?

kingdmc said:
Thanks a lot. What exactly can I upload?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are categories on the site, but generally anything is allowed as long as it's not copyrighted material. Ideally it should be a cab file or an executable that can be easily installed over the air.

Great idea for one stop shopping. Just an observation, how will you control duplicate entries or different release versions of same app? I can see it getting very ugly and unfriendly to the end-user very quickly. Just looking at programs and applications I already see two versions of spacer there and varying naming conventions and use of description. Haven't tried search yet, but maybe that helps sort that out...if you know exactly what you want (and the right keywords are called and published either in description or app file name).

tmknight said:
Great idea for one stop shopping. Just an observation, how will you control duplicate entries or different release versions of same app? I can see it getting very ugly and unfriendly to the end-user very quickly. Just looking at programs and applications I already see two versions of spacer there and varying naming conventions and use of description. Haven't tried search yet, but maybe that helps sort that out...if you know exactly what you want (and the right keywords are called and published either in description or app file name).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is definitely revision 1 of the site, so I'm taking all these suggestions and will be rewriting based off them. It's quite a bit more popular than I initially expected, so I'm pretty happy that everyone is enjoying it.

I was thinking of something like this, but more on an application repository type. Take the idea from linux / Ubuntu's application repositorys, where it can download, install, and keep up to date at all times as things are added and fixed.

If you could get this to work together with something like MoDaCo AppToDate it would be an awesome pair of apps...

looks promising, good luck with the site!

New Touch pro site!

I have created a new Touch pro site for the shiny new touch/diamond. I've posted lots of tutorials and fixes i've found and put them all in one place with access to all files direct! If would like to help me out, send me a PM!
I'm hoping to create an awesome all in one place for all the stuff scattered across the boards. I've found that i find tons of useful stuff, and when i want to find it again, its sometimes hard to get back to the exact post even with search. I just got a new server too, so everything should be mighty fast! No ads, no spams, just help for all!

Looks great! Bookmarked
... But please for the love of all things HTC, change the specs page please. Light gray font on white is rather painful.
I cannot wait to see that games section updated, I really would like to see some games that actually work.

Very nice site. Glad to see that you take hints/tips well...

Pandora is Alive!

Edited post because I just realized that the info about Pandora for WM is already on Fuze Mobility. I guess I am behind the curve. But I thought I would just edit this instead of deleting it in case there are still folks who don't know. By the way, apparently it costs $9 a month for the full version. Sorry to waste your time, please close post if necessary.

I tried to go to www.pandora.com through phone but it does not support our device yet. At least that is the message that I got.

there is a free cab that you can get
search around
and heres more help
google ppc geeks pandora theres a big thread with the cab

Thank you! I found it (I think).

http://wmpoweruser.com/?p=1885

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=48458

Non-market .apk file database proposal

Hello everyone. I've a sort of proposal for the developers here, but before I get into that let me first briefly introduce myself:
I'm a communication designer for print, user interface, and illustration that completely advocates everything Android. I've been lurking the Dream development forums here for quite some time, trying to keep up-to-date with the latest ROMs, apps, etc., etc and I fully appreciate everything that goes on here and the endeavors that you devs put yourself through. Amazing stuff, really.
One thing I've noticed is that there are a slew of third-party / beta apps all over these boards, and other places on the internet as well. More often than not, I find myself scouring the cloud just to find a link for these non-market apps, and I usually get referred to them via some obscure site through another site. Despite getting the .apk file or ROM in the end, the process can get to be a bit tedious; especially for incoming users and those new to the Android platform.
My proposal is this: A website with a simple and clean user interface that has direct and succinct navigation with the purpose of consolidating and listing third-party / beta non-market applications into an easy access database. This website database would link these applications and have them be easily downloaded and installed via the Android browser, without having to mount the device.
I've actually come up with a fully-functional concept site, did the branding and everything for it, and also registered a short domain name for quick access while on your G1 or whatever Android device.
Navigate to: http://anda.pk to see what I had in mind, and how the overall layout/concept of the site would work.
I uploaded several .apk files I had backed up as examples for you to see how the database section would function. I also took into account the resolution of most Android phones and made the .apk application database section fit perfectly in the Android browser when in portrait mode right when you the load the site to ensure the best possible user experience when installing these third party apps. When you scroll to the right, you'll see info on what the site is about, and in the footer there are links to the FAQ, the about section, contact, etc.
I had also noted in the about link in the footer that the applications hosted on the download section are in no way accredited to the site, and that credit goes to their rightful developers. My being a communication designer has had the idea of peer collaboration engrained, and as such I give credit it where credit is due.
That said, I hope you guys here and the developers collaborate with me on on this site, possibly help contribute apks, and agree to them being hosted. If anything, I do hope you just embrace the concept, which originally was just going to be a reference for myself and my friends whom I've turned away from the iPhone, S60, and WinMo in favor of Android. I figured since I know the Android community is only going to get bigger, this website concept of mine could be a decent resource to have bookmarked.
Appreciate you reading this wall of text! Do hope to hear some feedback, so let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
Cheers.

I think this is a fabulous idea...automated version control would go over very well -- i.e. yum update
you should post up bits that you need help with and have folks contact you.
also..I love the logo!
question: do you propose a rating system or a review prior to listing type of approach or something new to keep this resource trustworthy?

Been following this on SA and twitter and it's a great idea.
Having the devs here on board would be a fantastic way to get something solid on the go. It's the kind of thing that can really help android become more hackable and useable for the average user...and it just make things easier for the rest of us.

Sounds good to me.
thelilliandivide said:
the applications hosted on the download section are in no way accredited to the site
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Credit and accreditation are different things. To be accredited is to be given credentials or official approval. I think you meant "credited".

Sounds like a GREAT idea.
My opinion: The color scheme hurts. Love the logo.

i like the logo and the idea. I think the site should be more mobile friendly, or even better, an application for android that can work like the official market. I could help with that part if an application is going to be built.

camalot said:
i like the logo and the idea. I think the site should be more mobile friendly, or even better, an application for android that can work like the official market. I could help with that part if an application is going to be built.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i second that.. it should also have update checks if possible

I was going to complain that I didn't like your site layout, but in portrait mode you only see the left side which lists the apps. I like it.
One thing you might have to be leary of is dealing with apps that are considered warez unless your going to spend the time to verify every app that is uploaded or there has to a method in place.
As well there should be some kind of version control in place. You know what works on 1.1 and what works on 1.5. Obviously almost everybody within the next few weeks/months should be on 1.5, but will all the older apps run on 1.5 or does it really matter or does anybody care? The downloader will care.

CBowley said:
Sounds like a GREAT idea.
My opinion: The color scheme hurts. Love the logo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seconded. The text is much too light. A darker charcoal shade would be much better.
If the site gets an apk wrapper (a la FBook) version checking would be rather easy. Set up the directory tree something like this /downloads/WiFiTether/1.2.3.apk and just have the apk compare filenames. If the file names don't match, it needs to install the update.
EDIT: Now following your progress on twitter.

Some solid input. I'll play around with the color scheme and make some changes later this evening once I get back from class. And I actually do plan on making a mobile wrapper eventually, but as it stands as far as the concept layout goes, the site is best used when in portrait mode for easiest functionality. The rest of the site is to be considered supplemental. I do however, have a lot of things I eventually want to integrate; application tags, search, possibility of user uploaded apk files, etc. But for right now, I'm trying to keep the general site as simple as possible to make the workload on my end less stressful (graduating in 2 weeks).
bahnburner said:
If the site gets an apk wrapper (a la FBook) version checking would be rather easy. Set up the directory tree something like this /downloads/WiFiTether/1.2.3.apk and just have the apk compare filenames. If the file names don't match, it needs to install the update.
EDIT: Now following your progress on twitter.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did not know how that version checker worked. Thanks. I'll re-work the apk directory scheme akin to that later tonight for when I do eventually get the wrapper up.

thelilliandivide said:
Did not know how that version checker worked. Thanks. I'll re-work the apk directory scheme akin to that later tonight for when I do eventually get the wrapper up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's not necessarily how most version checks work, but that's the simplest method I could think of, and probably one of the easiest to implement.

alapapa said:
I think this is a fabulous idea...automated version control would go over very well -- i.e. yum update
you should post up bits that you need help with and have folks contact you.
also..I love the logo!
question: do you propose a rating system or a review prior to listing type of approach or something new to keep this resource trustworthy?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks! And I feel I might need some help in the future as far as implementing the features that I want to get working. But I'm not quite sure I understand your question. Are you referring to how I choose which applications get posted onto the site?

i'm a graphic designer and web designer, i'll throw in a helping hand if you want, pm me or whatever.
(think about an android based layout to bring it to the phone like Cough*cydia*cough

very cool and much needed
Xda-dev is great, but there is alot of stuff thats not on the market and they have shown to bow down to the tmobs pressure(ie: tether app) so another place to get apps would be great, and your weppage is beautiful and looks like it would be very finger friendly on the g1, but there is a basic model in linux of repositories(which is about what ur doing) and a simple app to d/l them maybe somebody could just make a market.apk with a modded addy, depending on how much is known about the market and its inner workings... it would be nice to do it as it has been always done....but as I stated above your webdesign is very nice and would work well in the native browser(im heading there now on my g1)
bhang

not a bad idea. I think this is great for all verified apps that are pulled from market...

I really like this idea. Go for it.
Just one (stupid) remark about the logo... it's like it has a big nose and a :-| expression... sorry

apetit said:
I really like this idea. Go for it.
Just one (stupid) remark about the logo... it's like it has a big nose and a :-| expression... sorry
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha, I just noticed that actually. Now it's all I see. But yeah, I'm hoping to have a few more apps to upload by the end of next week. Revisions to the site are imminent once I get out of this last class.

I love the idea. One bookmark to check up on all the good non-market apps will be much easier than having several bookmarked threads.
Some applications may benefit from having tags such as [beta], [stable], [experimental], [contains-ads], etc.
As others have mentioned once/if user uploads are implemented an app approval system will be crucial to keep the spam at bay. I can see this really taking off.

im a supporter

zgmf-x322a said:
im a supporter
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 this sounds like a great idea, there was something like this for apps for the dash,mda & sda.

[APP] UK CCTV Traffic Cameras London 0.4b

Hi guys,
I would like some feedback of my first App on android. It's free and it doesn't have any ads, which means that basically I'm making no money with it
I wanted to know the bugs first and receive some feedback before going any further. I don't own many mobile phones at the moment and all I got is some friends (nexus one) and an emulator to try this app.
My questions are:
- Could you please try this app. and give me some constructive feedback?
- If you like the app, could you rate it on android market, please?
(thank you in advance!)
Description:
Check more than 150 CCTV cameras around London.
Whether you are a tourist or a Londoner you can use this simple but effective application to "auto-detect" some of the nearest CCTV cameras around you.
You can also find some cameras (in London) by typing the street name.
(This software is not endorsed, affiliated or owned by TfL)
Screenshots:
("new users are not permitted to post outside links in their messages. All new user accounts will be verified by moderators before this restriction is removed" )
(I've been reading the forum for a while but this is my first post, I think)
Thank you.
Edit:
New in 0.4b:
- some bug fixes
- backwards compatibility
(I was forced to change the layout, I'm wondering whether it still works on 2.2 as it used to. Hope so!. Thank you for testing this app!)

Force Closed for me on froyo N1. Seems well thought out, and maybe it'll work better on 2.1 >
I personally have no practical use for this, not living in London, but as the description says, it might be useful for tourists and residents etc.
Hopefully other people might be able to get it to work successfully on other versions of android.
Keep up the work - nice to see new devs who don't just make spam apps.

Thank you very much for your feedback. It's very helpful. I had the chance to try the app on a google nexus one (so far 2.1 and 2.2 only).
I think I should probably put some restrictions on my sdkversion (I'm gonna read a bit more about that but if someone want to share some hints regarding that matter I'm all ears!)
Once again, THANK YOU!
EDIT: have you got the chance to see any screen before the "force close"?
have you been using 3G when this happened? (Thanks)

Works good dude...i just don't know any street names in London - lol
I saw Cambridge from your screenshot...it worked awesome
Running Nexus One CM6 Froyo 91

@bong_sniffer Thank you for your feedback. This is the first comment I've got from someone I don't know in person saying that it works. Cheers mate!
@grandmasterethel I've found the problem (I think). It's because I was using something available just in 2.2. ("street view" button). I'm gonna try to fix that for "backwards compatibility".

Now that you mention it, yes I was on 3G. It loaded the main menu just fine, and then it found the nearest camera to me (not even close because I don't live in london, but I imagine it is the closest really) but the when I pressed the button to get the camera view, it crashed.

fc on froyo over wifi

@ermacwins, @grandmasterethel, sorry to bother again but, I wanted to ask if please, when you got the chance, could you possibly try again the new version 0.4b and tell me how it goes?
does it work? does it cause the FC at the same point?
Once again, thank you for your feeback!

still fc on stock 2.2

Have it running on FRF91 build FroYo fine. Not that keen on the UI though. Button alignment and graphics are a bit off.
Not an issue though as it's a beta and it's free. Really handy application though.
Looking forward to the next build. Keep the good ideas rollin'.

@markouk thank you for your feedback. I wanted to ask you, can you use the UI or is it seriously messed up?. Sorry about that, I had to change the UI after changing the sdkversion and, for some reason -all of a sudden- the UI just changed. I'll be working on that. The UI is not going to be "amazing" but at least I hope to have everything organised.
@UmarKhan Thank you for your report. Finally, I managed to get FC while testing in a place with poor GPS reception. To some extent, I'm happy it happened to me, because I can finally understand what's happening, so, I'll be working on that issue!
Thank you all for trying the app, I'll be trying to solve those bugs.

Just gave it another try. Works perfectly on FRF91. Congratulations.
Sorry for the delay by the way, was AFK for a few days.

@grandmasterethel thank you for your feedback. I found another bug when there's poor GPS reception but I'm working on it (as well as the UI). If you find another FC, please, let me know.