In this post, I show how I removed the Project POJOs and marshal the XML data directly into the Android database.  Usually I have a layer of objects defining the model API and encapsulating the database, but with Android, Google has pre-written those objects in the form of cursor adapters.  Furthermore, there is little chance on a platform like Android that a dramatic change in the back end model will occur, as opposed to a larger less constrained application where a MySQL db is swapped with a Oracle database, then swapped with a distributed data system.

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I have to admit it…I’m a watch guy, I’ve worn one since I can remember, have old ones in my junk drawer, and would have a different one for every day of the week.  So do I agree with Wired’s article “Gadgets Killed by the Cellphone” on the death of the watch by cellphone?  Nope, no way, never!!

But, if any of you watch makers (Suunto esp.) happen to visit, here’s what I want to see next.  Bluetooth watch + headset + smartphone = lots of cool applications!!

When a phone call comes in, it is signaled by a mini-vibrator in the watch, and the contact name or phone number are displayed.   I can push a button on the watch to have my headset pick up the call; no, I do not want to talk into my watch, sorry Dick Tracey, but there are better ways IMO.  By using the watch you could scroll through your contacts and call one.  I don’t want dialing capabilities, just my contacts, or maybe most called contacts so I don’t have to scroll through the whole list.

Sideways scrolling text could be used to display notifications when they come due or are about to.  The notifications would be managed either  online or via the mobile device, but could easily be displayed on a decent resolution watch screen.

Finally, in a certain mode, the watch buttons are repurposed to play music from the phone.  Just the basic controls to move through a playlist or change the volume.

Why a watch?  Because it’s so much easier to get to, it’s right there, on my wrist.  I’m used to the motion of  checking the time, would be second nature to check an incoming call.  It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, or have a keyboard (that stays on the smartphone), or let me read a Word doc, just the obvious stuff….and tell the time of course.  So, can you have that done by Christmas?  Thanks.

Wow, I kinda feel like a celebrity :).  I had no clue that Jumpy would get an official review!  Thanks to Android Guys, Jumpy has now been critiqued.  Hopefully I’ll be able to find the time soon to make some improvements and get a version ?.?.? out the door.

Must….Finish…..Post…

I’ve been sitting on this post for awhile.  I had the code written weeks ago, but I’ve been procrastinating about getting the surrounding text completed.  As I’ve been trying to get the text written I’ve come up with other ideas, and instead of continually modify the code, I’ll present one solution here, and in my next post I will address one that eliminates the Project POJO.

The goal of this post is to take the nodes of the retrieved XML file from our REST call that I discussed in my early blog post and convert it into an array of concrete objects holding the XML node values as attributes.

This will be done by the following classes and interfaces

1) IObjectTranslator
2) Project
3) AbstractTranslator
3) SaxParser

The methodology discussed is one of many ways to extract objects from an XML document.  And just as a disclaimer to myself, this won’t be any ground breaking stuff, and being a Java programmer who usually has at least desktop processor and memory at his disposal, this may not be the most efficient solution for parsing an XML document on a mobile device, but nested if’s upon nest if’s are a pain to maintain in my most humble of opinions.  Okay, enough futzing around.

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Check me out on Twitter at @mmaitlen. I’ve been using Twidroid on my G1, seems to be working fairly well as a Twitter client.

Just a quick note that version 1.1.0 of Jumpy is available on the Android Market.  The features I added include:

1. An undo option allowing the player to move back the most recent move.
2. Redo Board allows the player to redo the most recently played board.
3. A setting has been added allowing the player to choose the first piece removed from the board.

I uploaded it to the Android Market over the weekend, but because of a bug in the market software it cleared out the total number of downloads and the rating Jumpy received to that point.  Currently it has been re-downloaded 1304 times and has a rating of 3 1/2 stars.  Thanks everyone who has tried out the new version.

I also have another application or two I’m working on.  The next one I plan to concentrate on is a mobile shopping list with a couple extra features that other shopping lists I’ve seen are missing.  And since I don’t like to waste to much time initially thinking of a name I’ll go with…ahh…hmmm… Honest Shopper.