Sometimes when you want to learn something you have to take on a whole project as a motivation for keeping it up.
I wanted to learn Java and the Android platform so instead of following various tutorials on the net, I decided to create a full-fledged mobile app.
TL;DR If you want to check it out, it's here on the Google Play Store : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.tchap.togotoThe app
I had a need for a mobile app for a long time, some kind of todo application that would be dedicated to listing the places I've always wanted to go to but never remembered.
The use case is simple : on your way to work, on when you go running outside, or even when you just wander around, you find a new restaurant or a new bar and say to yourself "Oh, great, I should definitely check this place when I go out for a drink next time!". Fact is : when you are out for a drink and ask yourself where to go, you never remember these places ... and you end up going to the same ones, again and again;
So the goal was to have a simple app that would present you with a map of all these places that you've gone by, and geolocate you when you need to find one of them again;
Why the price ?
Being a strong defendant of open-source, I'm planning to release the code sometime in 2016, but beforehand I'd like to experiment with the Play market and see if the concept was worth a few cents. It would be perfect if the sales could cover at least the $25 fee Google wants us to pay for having access to the developer console.
I definitely don't plan on making a fortune with this app ;)
What next ?
Well, I am launching the app in the course of March 2016, so let's see for a while how it goes. I have some evolutions in mind for the future releases and I'll probably update the app every month or so if I find the time to code.
What is important is that I learned what I wanted to learn. I'm still quite a newbie in Java but I have understood a few concepts about Android development, which is nice.
I guess that will prove handy (edit: actually, that already has!) when I will need some kind of mobile app for a prototype or a hack. I can already think about a few cases where having an app could enhance the overall experience of the projects we do with Eric here.
Of course, if you use the app and find any kind of strange behavior, bug, or problem, do not hesitate to tell me. I welcome all sorts of criticisms and suggestions as well to improve the app.