Software Idea #1 - GoOS

First off, I should mention that I am currently using CyanogenMod 7.2 Nightly's on my Nexus One. I have not replaced anything right now, but I do dabble in other ROM's and replacement Apps from time to time when I get bored.

I had been studying for my final exams for most of today and I decided to take a little break. I was fooling around going through the android market and I ran across the GoLauncher EX app listed.

I remember using it for a few months last year. I liked it, but when I reinstalled CyanogenMod, I couldn't be bothered reinstalling a custom launcher and left it.

I decided to check the other apps by the Go Dev Team listed on the market. I was blown away. They have an app for every type of replacement I could think of! Here's a list of the main apps for any readers who are curious:

• GoLauncher EX 
• Tons of customizable, installable widgets
• Tons of installable themes
• Go SMS Pro
• tons of themes for emoticons, look and feel, colors, etc
• Plug-ins to expand functionality (ie - add facebook chat compatability in to the sms app)
• Go Weather widget
• Numerous themes can be installed from the market
• Go Keyboard
• Numerous languages can be installed via the market
• Go Contacts EX
• themes for the dialer can be installed via the market
• Go Book
• mobile book reader
• online book creator app available
• Go Score
• sports score widget / app
• Go Locker
• custom lockscreen app

There are hundreds of themes and add ons for every one of those applications. The best part is that the main apps are ALL FREE. The themes are mostly paid apps but the part that matters is still free of charge.

What's more is that these apps are all pretty superior to the AOSP offerings from what I've seen. MIUI is the closest thing I've seen to an OS based on third party app offerings though, and it's not really the same thing.

I think it would be amazing if either the Go Dev Team put together their own OS OR the MIUI team absorbs the Go Dev Team and makes something amazing.

They are making some amazing products, but it's all so fragmented. The current app / theme offerings are strewn haphazardly across 3 or more different Android Market accounts. Consolidation is what these guys need, and what better way to consolidate than to create an entire OS for your products.

Just my 2 cents though.

-Joel

Material Suggestion #1 - NO MORE PLASTIC

This post is going to be fairly short. It will also be more "Rant" than I planned to have on this site, but I digress, it needs to be said.

OEM's of the world - STOP USING GLOSSY PLASTIC FOR EVERYTHING

Seriously, whose stupid idea was this? The current trend is to make devices that are created to be used by fingers. Human fingers secrete oils. Oils from fingers leave SMUDGE MARKS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

This is fairly unavoidable on the screen (For NOW), but this phenomenon can certainly be avoided on the rest of the device. Case in point - here is a picture I took of my HP Touchpad. I wiped it down 2 days before this:

There is absolutely no excuse for this. There exist many materials that look futuristic and sexy without being a terrible fingerprint tragedy. Here are some alternative materials companies should make better use of:

• Matte plastics
• Rubberized plastic (Droid Incredible, etc)
• Anodized aluminum (Nokia N9, Nexus One, etc)
• Magnesium (rubber coated for extra awesome eg: IBM ThinkPad)

See? That wasn't so hard. I'll admit - one of the reasons I've been holding off on buying a new phone / laptop is because I can't seem to find one that meets my price / specification range that's not a fingerprint magnet. I don't think I'm alone here either.

Not sure if I'm in the right here, but I blame HP specifically for bringing about this trend of glossy crap. I seem to remember them being the first ones to put glossy laptops in to mainstream production. Shame on you.

-Joel

Phone Concept #1 - Element-Proof Cell Phone

First, an anecdote. My father is a entrepreneur in the construction industry. He owns his own business and runs it himself with very little help. As a result, he ends up giving potential clients his cell phone number, as it is more convenient for them to reach him.

Being the all around worker he is, he takes his phone with him everywhere. When he is doing construction type work, the phone is in perpetual danger. When I was much younger, he owned a Nokia 3310 cell phone. I watched him drop it off a 3rd story balcony, drop it in toilets, drop it in buckets of glue, etc. The thing that made the phone perfect for him was the fact that IT WAS A TANK. The only thing that usually broke was the faceplate, and that was easily replaceable. It didn't even seem to be phased when you dropped it in water. It was the best phone for a man on the job.

Today's phones just are NOT for him. They're far to fragile, unless you buy a 50 dollar otterbox defender case.  Even if you do that, the phone becomes bulkier than that old 3310 cell phone.

These days, technology has progressed to the point where it's possible to make the indestructible cell phone. NFC, Inductive charging, and stronger composites can make it possible. I think I know how to make it.

The phone phone body will be mostly comprised of a think kevlar coated plastic (as seen with the Droid Razr). The front and back of the phone will be divided by an aluminum frame covered in rubber. The rubber will be fused to both sheets of kevlar, sealing off any openings. Underneath this rubber coating will be the volume rocker on the left side of the phone and the power button centered on the top. There are no ports. Data transfer will be done through induction or NFC, and charging will be done through induction

The front of the phone will also have a gorilla glass (or similar) sheet of glass covering the screen. It will be flush with the surface of the phone where there are NO gaps between the phone and the screen (think Nokia N9). Under this glass will be a centered Front facing camera / light sensor combo piece at the top, a 720P or higher display, and a tri-color LED at the bottom (think Galaxy Nexus). When the screen is off, this entire area will be a uniform shade of black so that you cannot tell where the glass ends and the screen begins. At the top, underneath the Kevlar will be a speaker with Adjustable volume. In calls, it will be at a lower volume and when speakerphone mode is enabled, it will get louder (think iPod Touch). At the bottom of the phone right under the screen will be a TINY pinhole. This is where the main microphone will reside. The hole should be waterproofed somehow.

The back should be covered entirely with kevlar. There should be a 8mpx or higher camera in the top-middle of the phone. The camera should be optimized for low lighting and capable of shooting 1080p video in low light. There will be an LED flash located directly under the camera. The components should sit flush with the back of the phone. Their small section should be covered by a single section of gorilla glass, which then should be fused to the rest of the kevlar back. There would be another tiny hole on the back acting as the secondary, noise cancelling microphone. Again, it should be waterproofed somehow.

Again, there are no openings on this phone (aside from the pinholes for the mics) so theoretically this phone should be waterproof and dustproof. The hard rubber surrounding the edge should give it a layer of shock protection if dropped. The heavy duty composites for the housing should also help prevent damage. Inside the phone would be high end components and your typical array of sensors and electrical components available in every other smartphone out today.

I'd appreciate feedback on this. Hopefully a company picks up this idea and gives me a free one =D.

-Joel