Category Archives: Android

More Deal Daemon Development!

Lightened theme, less clutter.

Things are moving right along with the next version of Deal Daemon.  The main highlights include: less clutter on the home screen, a cleaner style, social media sharing features and a more informative match notification.  There’s plenty of debugging left to do, the promo materials for the Play Store need updating (including the screen shots and video), and the home page needs to be refreshed…  In the mean time, eye candy:

Advanced options are hidden by default.

Searches screen, largely untouched.

Test search screen, also largely untouched.

More of the same…

Same notification page, new launcher icon.

Brand new match page! Actually contains useful information and features!

Forwarding for your non-Android-Empowered buddies.

For all of you social networking needs…

Looking sleek in API Level 15, the latest and greatest in Android operating systems.

Deal Daemon Video and Screenshots

Deal Daemon is nearly ready for prime time.  The UI is shaping up and all of the major features are working consistently.  More testing is needed, to be sure; but I can’t just stare at it forever.  It eventually needs to be released out into the wild where people will (mercilessly, no doubt) critique the interface and functionality and offer feedback.  And after that goes on for a while, I’ll eventually realize that it’s time for an update!


But for the time being, here’s what I’ve got:

The video looks best in YouTube.  It’s recorded using video capture software and the app is running in the Android 2.3.3 Emulator, which is made available for free in the Android Software Development Kit.  You basically launch a program on your desktop which looks and acts just like the phone would.  It’s a bit sluggish for two reasons.  1) The software is not optimized yet.  When I compile the production release it should get smaller (installation wise) and faster.  2) The Android Emulator has the uncanny ability to bring even the burliest PCs to their knees.  Such is the nature of virtual machines…

Defining a search on my HTC Inspire 4G
running Android 2.2.1.

Same hardware/OS.  Viewing a product detail
page to be sure I’ve chosen reasonable
search terms.

Same device again.  Notification panel shows
two matches: one for a pair of shorts on
Dogfunk, and another for a camp duffel
from Steap and Cheap.

Well, that’s about it for now.  Next on my agenda, is to compile the production release, digitally sign the app so that the Android Market can securely and reliably deliver it to users, register as an app developer with the Market and then start fielding bug/feature requests!

Oh, one last thing.  I figured out a way of collecting commissions from backcountry.com et al upon sales generated from Deal Daemon.  Why should you care?  Because I now no longer have a good reason to charge people for the software.  That’s right, it’s going to be 100% free!


Enjoy,
brian

Deal Daemon: Open Beta

HTC Inspire 4G notification pane with a real
live alert from Deal Daemon.

That’s right folks; as of about 5 minutes ago this thing finally does something moderately useful.  I think I’m about ready for an open beta test.  Any volunteers?  If you actually help me with this, I’ll hook you up with a free copy of the software and updates for as long as I continue to update it.

Yes, there’s a bug in the screen shot: I printed the word twice for no good reason (apart from it being a Saturday night and I’m mid way through a pint of brew), but such is the nature of software – it’s not perfect.  Rest assured, it’ll get close.

For those unfamiliar with the project, check out the project landing page.

People seriously interested in helping me beta test this sucker should drop a comment with their email or other contact info in this post.  More info will be forthcoming…

Thanks!