Has anyone built any apps for either 1) Android 2) IOS or 3) Windows (smartphone) or 4) PC, to support their Part 15 station?
Has anyone built any apps for either 1) Android 2) IOS or 3) Windows (smartphone) or 4) PC, to support their Part 15 station?
I'm looking at all of these platforms and want to build apps to intelligently connect to my (or, for that matter, any other) Part 15 or other radio station stream. By intelligently connect, I mean allow for options, either WiFi (pick a network) or alternatively, use your cell data connection, or allow a preference or ?.
I've done a bit of research, Apple is of course a proprietary platform, Android is more open with Java, not sure about the Windows smartphone platform - the only one I feel comfortable with is the PC.
If anyone as done anything, or is interested in doing something along these lines, I'd be more than willing to share ideas, code, etc. Hopefully you would be willing to do the same.
Hey, maybe we could build the generic ALPB Part 15 smartphone app.
I don't have the knowledge, but I'm
hoping somebody will eventually
figure it out.
Bruce, W 60 HZ, Etc.
My only claim to building something that was computer driven goes back to the 1980s with the Commodore 64, with which I learned some programming in the Basic computer language.
I somehow found out that the parallel port could be wired to provide 16 on/off lines with 5VDC. My books helped a little, but it was a high school kid who taught me the series of numbers that looked like zip codes that had to be "touched" or "toked" (I forget the words in a command line.
Then an engineer friend showed how to hook up little relays with diodes to switch AC power circuits on/off using the relays driven by 5VDC.
I actually got it to turn on tape recorders for a semi-automated operation of a public radio station, running the thing from the computer's on-board clock, which drifted a lot.
What I did not learn was how to have the tape recorder tell the computer to "stop" the tape deck.
It was great fun.
Hi Bruce. Oh, it's been figured out (just not by me, at least yet).
I just thought that I'd mine the brains of the people here to see if someone has done something similar. Might as well share ideas and work if they have.
If not, then I'll just forge ahead on my own in any event. My background is computer software development, I just haven't written anything yet for these devices. PC's - no problem.
But just imagine this - an app that you can download through iTunes, or the Marketplace (I guess the Playstore now or whatever they call it) or the Internet. Let's name it ALPBRadio. With it, you can play any of the ALPB member broadcast streams through your cell phone or tablet or on your PC. Add in some intelligent searches to find the 'right' station based on your criteria, with a few simple functions such as displaying the current song, the last few songs played, etc. Make it free. And you've got a great marketing tool for both the member stations and the ALPB. Never mind that each station may get more listeners.
It was exciting when I was considering it just for Artisan Radio. But it really makes sense if it encompasses the ALPB.
Will the participating stations know when someone tunes in via their device with the ALPBradio.app?
What is the audio quality like on those little handheld devices?
Are their any people alive today who can pay attention to one thing for more than 30-seconds?
Hey Artisian,
What you are seeking to do is, in my opinion, recreating the wheel.
There are a gazillion audio player apps already for Android (has 60%+ market share).
Have to look at the implications of rolling your own player. There is the cost, complexity, support, etc. Plus you need to market it to folks and justify junking up the limited storage resources of their phone.
I find I am constantly running into issues on Droid devices where bundled RAM is nearing fill with few apps I have. Lots of apps do not allow you to unload the apps to the storage, meaning, you are competing for precious space.
All that said, many audio listeners likely already have their favorite audio app. Mine for tuning-like listening is Tunein.
I'd focus on providing your streams at different speeds (64k, 32k, 16k) and via different technologies - Shoutcast and Icecast.
Beyond that, promote these streams on your own website. Finally, make the streams available in the Shoutcast directory lots of services pull streams from and to providers like TuneIn.
I was waiting for someone to come back with a response like this.
It's not meant to be the same. It's meant to be a directed marketing tool, both for the ALPB and member stations. Try getting any listeners if you're a small station amidst the 30,000 plus listings on tunein, or vtuner or pandora. Maybe a few by accident will stumble across your station but that's about it.
I see this app as letting those who know about your station listening in. or those who know about the ALPB sample other stations.
I can see allowing individual stations to brand it with their logo, etc.
And as to development, no reinventing the wheel, or at least minimizing it.
And by the way, we already have a stream AND website. I see this as the next logical step in promoting a radio station or group of radio stations.