Category Archives: Android

Glass Block LED Matrix, controlled outdoors via tablet

Here is a video from Hive 13 that shows how an Android tablet is used to control a glass block LED matrix via a wireless connection. After installing a LED matrix behind a glass block wall in their bathroom, hackers at Hive 13 are figuring out a way to control them. After some initial struggles […]

Google winds down Android app inventor, to open source code

Last December we noted the announcement of the Android App Inventor from Google. Now Google has announced the discontinuance of the project and states that they will open source the code. With the winding down of Google Labs, Google will discontinue App Inventor as a Google product and will open source the code. Additionally, because […]

WIMM One – anywhere Android device

Wimm Labs has announced their development of the WIMM One platform, a go anywhere user programmable Android device. While their website doesn’t reveal the processor, they state the device will include a bi-modal display, capacitive touch screen, WiFi and Bluetooth, an accelerometer, magnetometer up to 32 GB memory and be housed in a water resistent […]

OpenDuino hackerspace monitor

The Luxembourg based syn2cat hackerspace has a system in place to provide members with information on the open/closed status of the space online or via an Android app. They call it OpenDuino, and it is more than a web based status monitor. OpenDuino also operates as a security system, allowing members to open and secure […]

Arduino releasing new ADK, ethernet and sensor dev boards

According to the Arduino Blog they are in the process of releasing several new boards, including an Ethernet Board, Mega Sensor Board and Mega ADK. The Arduino Ethernet combines a regular Arduino board with the Ethernet Shield into a single board designed to power your internet of things projects. It has the ability (if fitted […]

Scripting Bluetooth on Android

Brian writes: I have just finished writing up info on an Android application I am calling BlueScripts along with a demo embedded application BlueZigbee for the Eridani development board. Many embedded system applications need simple message communications between two devices of a repetitive nature. Good examples are any remote control application. These types of of […]

Free O’Reilly webcast: Open Android

O’Reilly is presenting a free webcast on Open Android: What it means to be open and why you would care, on Friday, July 8, 2011 at 10 AM PT. The presentation by Marko Gargenta will last approximately 60 minutes. Open is another buzz word that means many things to many people. In Open Android talk, […]

Android Arduino MIDI sequencer

Here’s a project from SuLuLab using an Android smartphone to send commands via WiFi to an Arduino board in order to control a MIDI sequencer. It uses the new Processing 1.5 which provides Android support. SuLuLab writes: The first application developed to study the new Processing mode is a graphical interface for the simple MIDI […]

Processing 1.5 provides Android support

Processing version 1.5 is available for download. In addition to support for traditional desktop/web development, this release also includes an Android development mode. This should make Android development easier than using the Android SDK. For everything you need to know to start developing in Processing for Android, see the their Android Wiki page.

Open source perception manager

Cellbots is a collection of hobbyists who want to free your cell phone from your pocket and let it connect and move with the real word by integrating it with a robot. Now Anthony Francis, a member of Google’s Cloud Robotics team and a volunteer at Cellbots.com, has been given the green light to contribute […]

Arduino to Android IO on the cheap (aka Poor Man’s NFC)

Joe Desbonnet was looking for a cheap and easy way to transfer data from an Arduino to an Android device. The hack he devised requires only a 1-meter length of wire wound into a coil, a resistor and diode. He writes: This is a little hack that allows very low bandwidth communications in one direction […]

Gmote turns Android into a remote control

Michael writes: Gmote turns Android into a remote control for a computer, allowing users to run movies and music at a distance. It supports all of the standard remote control features such as play, pause, rewind, volume controls etc. It also has a built-in file browser that lets you select what to play. Source code […]

Android ADK with a standard Arduino Uno and USB host shield

Rather than wait for the pricey Google ADK hardware, Mario Bohmer decided to hack away at Android accessory development on his own. Since the Google firmware was based on their dev board, he had to port the firmware and software for use with the Arduino Uno and a USB Host Shield. He reports success using […]

Microchip PIC24 development kit for Android

Here is Microchip’s response to the Arduino based hardware for use with Google’s ADK. Microchip has announced the release of the Microchip PIC24F Accessory Development Start Kit for Android™. This is a standalone board used for evaluating and developing electronic accessories for Google’s Android operating system for smartphones and tablets. Microchip’s PIC24F Accessory Development Starter […]

Arduino based Android Open Accessory Development Kit

Joe Desbonnet informs us of the release by Google of their Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK). Interestingly, the ADK is Arduino based! The Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK) provides an implementation of an Android USB accessory that is based on the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform, the accessory’s hardware design files, code […]

Sony Ericsson posts instructions for hacking their Android phones

Recent news regarding Sony and hackers does not generally relate to cooperation. However, Sony Ericsson’s new openness to hacking of their Android phones is a different story. Their Developer Blog has posted detailed instructions on how to build a Linux kernel and flash it to their Android phone. This is supposedly to continue their open […]

Android / Arduino controlled remote wall socket

Mario Böhmer has informed us of his latest project, an Android/Arduino controlled wall socket. Mario writes: To show the basic principal I used a remote wall socket which normally is switched with a remote via a radio frequency of 433 MHz. What I wanted was to have an Arduino controlling the remote switch to turn […]

Sparkfun IOIO Android interface

SparkFun has announced the upcoming release of their IOIO for Android Board. The IOIO (pronounced “yo-yo”) is a board specially designed to work with your Android device (OS versions 1.5 and greater). The board provides extensive and robust connectivity to an Android device via a USB connection. The IOIO is fully controllable from within an […]