For my next trick...

[marwatk]

Hi anyone reading this out of curiosity,

For my next app I'm working on a profile replacement (blinky lights, sounds, and vibrations) and I'm looking for suggestions. I have a lot of ideas in my head about what this thing should do and how it should work, but before I corrupt your thought process I wanted to see if anyone had thought about what they'd like to see in such an app.

So, that's it, discuss.

-Marcus

P.S. No, I'm not stopping work on PodTrapper.

P.P.S. Or, if a profile replacement isn't your cup of tea, what have you been dying to see done, or done right, on your berry?

[arkolbus]

I've been thinking about purchasing an app like this, so good timing! I'll wait and see what you have to offer. I know the support will be top-notch!

Request:
Location-aware and/or time-aware profile switching

Location could be by GPS, or by cell tower. My GPS is crippled by Verizon, so I'd prefer tower-based.

[ScanAmerica]

I read about a new app in BlackBerryForums.com that would change the profile automatically based on cell towers (and maybe GPS too) but the reason I didn't buy it is that it wouldn't change the profile if the device was in the holster. I would like to be able to leave my BB in the holster and have it change profiles as I approach work and home.

Regarding the changing of profiles based upon cell tower proximity, the program should probably allow you to associate multiple towers with the same profile.

Something else that would be nice is if instead of having "out of holster" and "in holster" settings I could also have "while charging" settings as well.

I would love to see the app have a desktop companion that would allow me to configure the settings for the profiles in a grid/spreadsheet/table type view (as well as to back them up). Right now it's a pain to configure all of the profiles exactly how I want if I want to create additional profiles and fine-tune them for specific uses.

I would also like to be able to associate different events (mail for one mailbox vs mail for another mailbox or a missed call reminder) with different LED colors. If I have a missed call and an e-mail notification it would be nice if the LED could alternate between blinking green for one and red for another. I realize this part might be beyond the scope or abilities of a profile manager.

Thanks,
Gordon

[ScanAmerica]

I thought of some more ideas last night...

In addition to being able to have profiles change based upon the proximity of certain towers it would also be great if you could have the profile change based on being connected to a particular WiFi network or Bluetooth device.

I would also like to have the option of attaching to a profile switching rule a timeframe when a rule would apply.

One way I see of implementing this, from a UI point of view, would be to have a "New Rule" or "Add Rule" menu item which the user would select to add a profile switching rule. The user would be taken to another screen where they would build their rule. This screen would first have them specify a destination profile, a profile that would be switched to when the rule matched the specified criteria. After they specify the destination profile they would build the rule by selecting from menu items like "Add cell tower", "Add WiFi network", "Add Bluetooth device", and "Add timeframe", these would allow the user to associate the rule with one or more cell towers, wireless networks, bluetooth devices and timeframe(s). As the user builds a rule it would be displayed on the screen as a sentence, like "Switch to Quiet profile when connected to wireless network Home" or "Switch to Phone Only profile when near cell towers xxx, yyy, and zzz between 7am and 11am".

Being able to associate wireless networks with a profile switching rule would allow me to have a rule be associated with my home network which would activate only when I'm in my house or really close to it but not when I'm just in the neighborhood (which would happen with a cell tower only rule).

Being able to associate a Bluetooth connected device with a rule would allow me to have a profile activate when I get in my car and begin listening to Podcasts via a Bluetooth stereo gateway.

Being able to associate a timeframe with a profile would give me the ability to have a rule execute automatically to silence my phone when at church. I would have cell towers near the church be associated with the profile but have the profile only apply between 7am and 12pm (on Sunday's only if day of the week was a criteria that could be selected). Being able to limit the rule to a timeframe would keep the rule from executing due to just driving by the church.

Thanks,
Gordon

[marwatk]

Way ahead of you (though I hadn't thought of the bluetooth connection being a criteria, that's a good idea). I'm really looking forward to getting this finished, I think you'll like it (and hopefully thousands of other people too, heh).

-Marcus

[ScanAmerica]

Another idea I thought of today would be to have the ability to specify, in a profile, that Wifi and/or Bluetooth should be turned on or off.

When I'm at home I have WiFi on to connect to my home network. In order to save battery power, it would be nice if I could have WiFi turned on when I approach the house and have it turned off when I leave the area where my house is (both based on cell towers).

[krkeegan]

I am assuming you have seen "locale" on android?? Since they show no intent to port it to the berry I say clone some of their ideas. I think in addition to what has already been suggested they can also:
-Change the background image (you don't want the bikini babe on your phone while at work)
-Plus they have the option to ping a web address. This is helpful if you want to turn something on as you start to head home.

Another idea I thought of today would be to have the ability to specify, in a profile, that Wifi and/or Bluetooth should be turned on or off.

When I'm at home I have WiFi on to connect to my home network. In order to save battery power, it would be nice if I could have WiFi turned on when I approach the house and have it turned off when I leave the area where my house is (both based on cell towers).

This is a great idea. Obviously something would need to be done to prevent it from turning off wi-fi if you were actually using it, but this is something that I never thought of.

[marwatk]

Thanks for the suggestions. My goal is to eventually have an entire event system based on times/locations/etc.

I'm not sure what I'll be able to implement (for example, there's no API for toggling wifi availability, afaik), but anything I can do I will.

-Marcus

[Tripper_]

Alright I have a simple one. We have ways to make our own themes but no way to change third party icons. Even the folder icons (applications,downloads,and games) are all the same. Have a program that runs in the background to link original icons to ones we can create our self. Example open "Icon linker" select original icon next select custom icon. That way we can hide the icons we don't want and use our own.