BlackBerry Forums Support Community

corey@12mile · 01-12-2005, 08:05 AM

I started a thread a while back to see if any existing or budding BB developers wanted to start some open source projects for the BB. I really didn't get the response I was hoping to, so I am going to 'go it myself'.

What I need is some ideas for small, but useful apps from people. As I have a fair amount of programming experience, but pretty much none of it for mobile devices, I have to start small and simple as I build my way up to bigger and better things.

So if any of you have ideas for small useful apps, please let me know. I will evaluate each idea for feasability and then take it from there. These apps will be open source and will be free of any cost to use for anybody. Hopefully we can start coming up with something useful that will benefit the whole BB community.

finch · 01-12-2005, 08:11 AM

Spelling/Grammer check would be nice...

corey@12mile · 01-12-2005, 08:18 AM

That's an interesting thought, the biggest issue with that would be the size of the dictionary, most english language dictionaries are well over 10 megs in size. This would make it possible to store on the device, but wouldn't be desirable as it would most likely fill up the device. I suppose a remote dictionary could be used, but then you come into issues with latency and radio coverage. I suppose a BES connected unit might be able to run something where an email would be 'intercepted' before it is actually sent and checked then returned to the handheld for final approval, but it would drive me nuts as I use 'net slang' all the time.

I like the idea, but I don't think it would be easy or useful with the restraints that it would have to adhere to.

Mark Rejhon · 01-12-2005, 01:03 PM

There's already a dictionary available for BlackBerry:
http://www.beiks.com/rim/
They crammed the size of the dictionary down to about 2.15 megabytes or so with about 34,000 words. Also, the BlackBerry 7290, 7100 and 7520 has 32megs RAM, so there's a lot more free memory on that device. Upcoming new models of BlackBerries in 2005, will have a minimum of 32megs.

However, one of my requests would be some kind of an exercise logging program for BlackBerry that can export to an Excel spreadsheet.

finch · 01-12-2005, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Rejhon

There's already a dictionary available for BlackBerry:
http://www.beiks.com/rim/
They crammed the size of the dictionary down to about 2.15 megabytes or so with about 34,000 words. Also, the BlackBerry 7290, 7100 and 7520 has 32megs RAM, so there's a lot more free memory on that device. Upcoming new models of BlackBerries in 2005, will have a minimum of 32megs.

However, one of my requests would be some kind of an exercise logging program for BlackBerry that can export to an Excel spreadsheet.

Good call Mark, I totally forgot about Beiks.

singberry · 01-23-2005, 11:03 AM

any one thought of the idea using the calculator/phone/numeric keypad ala T9 dictionary of Nokia phone? this way we can still compose SMS using just one hand. I tried using Autotext to emulate but can only get so far eg. 'hand' and 'game' shares the same key entries '4.2.6.3'

dextr0us · 01-23-2005, 03:23 PM

I think the whole point of the blackberry is to move away from t9. Thats why I bought a BB. I prefer the qwerty, because i don't have to worry about hand and game issues. I don't even have to see the keyboard, ever!

CaptNblackberry · 01-23-2005, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dextr0us

I think the whole point of the blackberry is to move away from t9. Thats why I bought a BB. I prefer the qwerty, because i don't have to worry about hand and game issues. I don't even have to see the keyboard, ever!

I think this may be changing with the new predictive keyboards RIM is going to.....

cayzac · 01-24-2005, 10:10 AM

How about an application that would "push" information to the berry? Similar to how BBToday "pushes" the weather every hour. You could have latest news headlines, stocks, sports scores, etc. pushed every hour or so. That may be useful.

Inphektion · 01-24-2005, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cayzac

How about an application that would "push" information to the berry? Similar to how BBToday "pushes" the weather every hour. You could have latest news headlines, stocks, sports scores, etc. pushed every hour or so. That may be useful.

On this thought, I'd like an app I could point to rss links and have it update at a user specified interval and basically be an RSS reader where you can mark the headlines as read, save them, delete them, etc.

echodawg · 01-25-2005, 03:22 PM

how about an OTA download that will fill in the calander with common holidays?

bossj52 · 01-26-2005, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by echodawg

how about an OTA download that will fill in the calander with common holidays?

wouldn't it be easier to find one that does this on outlook, as the calender sync's wirelessly already?

bossj52 · 01-27-2005, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by echodawg

how about an OTA download that will fill in the calander with common holidays?

Problem solved... they're already built into outlook.

http://www.tech-recipes.com/microsof...e_tips265.html

jibi · 01-27-2005, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cayzac

How about an application that would "push" information to the berry? Similar to how BBToday "pushes" the weather every hour. You could have latest news headlines, stocks, sports scores, etc. pushed every hour or so. That may be useful.

If you use a BES, these can built as webpages that push automatically to the handhelds.

cayzac · 01-27-2005, 01:43 PM

Quote:

If you use a BES, these can built as webpages that push automatically to the handhelds.

I have a BES. I have played around VERY little with "pushing" information to my handhelds. RIM provides a sample app that pushes contents from an Excel file. Anyway, how difficult is this? How would you even begin to create a webpage that can be pushed out? Thanks in advance!

yann · 01-17-2006, 04:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inphektion

On this thought, I'd like an app I could point to rss links and have it update at a user specified interval and basically be an RSS reader where you can mark the headlines as read, save them, delete them, etc.

That's definitively Piconews : http://www.piconews.com
It does all what you describe!