Meta iPad thinking

Whether you actually have a set of iPads in students hands or not, most are well aware of what an iPad is. It is an interesting exercise to ask students to think about apps they would like to see created. Of course odds are a percentage of them will become competent programmers and actually consider making apps in the future.

What is the buzz about apps? We don't seem to talk about new programs on the PC very much. Here are some clues...

• low cost or free
• safely sourced (ignoring jail breaking)
• designed for a machine with a vast array of sensors built in
• designed for a machine with a totally new interface (touch screen)

I think the third point about the sensors is quite critical... Apple have put at least the following in the iPad to my knowledge.

• touch screen
• GPS
• compass
• accelerometer (reads impact on the unit)
• accelerometer (reads angle and orientation of the unit)
• light sensor (though this may be rather limited)
• camera (actually 2)
• microphone

There is no end to the novel apps that are being created because of the access programmers have to this sensor rich device. You can download a seismograph (iSeismometer) that uses the accelerometer, or the beautifully realised Star Chart (GPS, compass PLUS angle and orientation all used to good effect).

It is also fun to suggest facile or nonsensical apps to provoke student thinking. My current favourite is to say at meal times "hey, I wish there was a plate app... maybe after the meal a button would start a wash cyle, and if you forgot to do that then after a day or so maggots and blowflies would start appearing".

Hmm, maybe I should contact Apple with that idea...

Andrew Lack