Week 4 EOC: There's an App for That

If I could create an app for my blackberry, it would be an app that could easily help me find things in my large purses. My bags literally swallow my keys, wallet, phone, etc. I want an app that could somehow locate the object right away, so I don't have to go searching around for it; which takes forever! I want to create a convenient app that will allow me to find what I'm looking for within seconds.

While doing some research, I found an app that works only for Droid called the Cobra Tags. "The tag can be attached to keys, a bag, or pretty much anything that is easy to lose or to forget. Both the tag and the phone can be used to find each other if in range." says a website which covers a story on the new app. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/04/cobra-tags-find-lost-keys-with-your-android-phone/
The app itself is free, but the Cobra Tag is $60. The only inconvenience is having a bulky, large tag attached to whatever item you are trying to prevent from losing. You can't take it off, or else the whole system would be pointless. The tag should have been made smaller, micro sized, so that it would be more manageable and less noticeable on the item.

Another website goes on to explain another app which allows you to do nearly the same thing. "Zomm is described as a wireless leash. It's the size of a key fob and works with your cellphone's Bluetooth transmitter. If you walk out of your house or your office and leave the phone more than thirty feet behind, the Zomm starts vibrating, then flashes and sounds an alarm." http://www.aarp.org/technology/innovations/info-08-2011/find-it-faster.html
It is sold for around $50-$90. The Zomm is small, compact and easy to use; unlike the Cobra tag. The Zomm also features a speakerphone button and an emergency call button, which is more than the Cobra Tag features, and it is slightly cheaper if found at the right place. Another good thing about the Zomm is that if you lose the actual Zomm piece, you can reverse the method and use your phone to trace its location. So either way, you'll always be preventing yourself from losing your items, AND the wireless leash itself.


Actually creating an app is a very lengthy process. "As in all things related to software development, the goal of your app will be to provide a solution to a set of end users" says a website which explains further into how you actually make your own app. http://gigaom.com/apple/preparing-to-write-your-first-iphone-app/
They are saying you must make your app so that it targets a certain crowd of people, that way it can generate and get revenue. The app also has to be convenient and easy to use. The site also recommends you document every idea and thought, "Before you commit any code to your new project, take some time to document your end-user experience." You want to know how your product works so that you can successfully sell it to others.