Started development of NotesMappr version 1.1

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Brett

Development of NotesMappr version 1.1 has started. The planned release date for version 1.1 is Tuesday, March 15. The following issues and feature will be addressed and added, respectively:

  • Implement a more visually appealing notification user interface
  • Add appropriate icons for lists and tabs
  • Make incremental improvements to the main screen’s user interface
  • Implement tagging functionality

All in all, version 1.1 will focus on improving the user interface of the application in conjunction with one major addition in terms of functionality: tagging of notes. Although I alluded to implementing social network integration (specifically, with Twitter and Facebook) and additional note attachment types (for example, video) with regards to version 1.1, I think it makes sense to ensure that the application’s overall user experience is improved, first. That is, user interface enhancements in tandem with tagging for the classification and categorization of notes seems like the most logical next step before I turn my attention to, for example, social network integration.

Anyway, let me know what you think with regards to the planned set of improvements for NotesMappr.

Posted in Android, Design, Knowledge Management, NotesMappr | Leave a comment

NotesMappr launched on the Android Market

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Brett

NotesMappr has been launched! Click here to check it out on the Android Market. Furthermore, the first bug release addressing a rather annoying user interface bug is already available.

After two days of being published, the application has been downloaded 45 times. However, the number of active installs (number of installed apps – the number of times the app has been uninstalled) is currently at 66%. I think it is highly likely that the vast majority of the uninstalls are related to two factors:

  • The above-mentioned bug that effectively made it impossible to create new notes; that is, the soft keyboard was ‘sitting’ on top of the text field in the Create Note screen (the fix ensures that the content of the window is automatically panned so that the current focus is never obscured by the keyboard and users can always see what they are typing).
  • Downloading the application with a different set of expectations than what the app can actually deliver. NotesMappr’s specific purpose is the semantic organization of notes. If you have no need or desire to organize your notes in a contextual manner, then it is highly unlikely that NotesMappr will be appropriate for your needs. That is, if all you want in terms of organizing your notes is a simple list (or perhaps folders), then NotesMappr’s semantic features will introduce a level of unwanted complexity.

All in all, I am satisfied with the app’s launch. It gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction to think that other people can derive utility from NotesMappr.

Down low. Photo by Kenny Louie: http://www.flickr.com/people/kwl/

Down low. Photo by Kenny Louie: http://www.flickr.com/people/kwl/

Moreover, with regards to NotesMappr’s release strategy, I was initially going to make big point releases with several major features in each release. However, I think it makes more sense to focus on only one major feature per release which will allow me to reduce the time between releases. For example, instead of adding Twitter and Facebook integration in conjunction with new attachment types for release in, for example, three months time, I will add Twitter integration and release the application as version 1.1 in two weeks time. Facebook integration will be in version 1.2 which will be released two weeks afterwards, etcetera, etcetera. Obviously, as part of each point release, I will make the necessary bug fixes and user interface improvements.

Finally, I really do hope that you enjoy using NotesMappr as much as I am enjoying developing it. Please keep in mind that the application is far from what I originally envisaged it to be and your suggestions, ideas and thoughts with regards to NotesMappr’s current and future state are more than welcome.

Posted in Android, Mind maps, Mobile, Note taking, NotesMappr | Leave a comment

NotesMappr version 1.1 features

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Brett

With NotesMappr’s imminent release, I would like to outline what features I am planning to include in its next version. I know a lot of people would say that it is a mistake to talk about the next version of an application when the current version hasn’t even been released but I think it is important to outline what is down the road in terms of the app’s feature set.

With version 1.0, I obviously focused on the application’s basic feature set, that is, note taking, basic note attachments (in this case, images) and specifically the ability to assert (semantically rich) relationships between notes (that is, create associations).

The next version of NotesMappr will focus on two areas:

  • Additional attachment types
  • Social features

With regards to additional (note) attachment types, I expect that the ability to attach videos and GoogleMaps coordinates to a note (for subsequent viewing) as being the two specific features that will be added.

When it comes to social features, I would like to add the possibility to both tweet excerpts of notes on Twitter and post notes to a user’s Facebook wall, respectively.

Please let me know what you think with regards to NotesMappr’s planned feature set for its next version.

Posted in Android, Mobile, Note taking, Software | Leave a comment

How to study? Mind maps and note taking

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Brett

When it comes to studying, (effective) note taking is a key study skill. What’s more, note taking can be considered a key phase in the transmission of knowledge.

Obviously, there are different note taking systems including (but not limited to) charting, outlining and mapping. For example, a more traditional note taking method is the Cornell Note taking sytem. The Cornell Note taking system provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes by dividing the paper into two columns; the right-hand column is for recording the actual notes themselves whilst the left-hand column is for writing down accompanying questions and keywords. Finally, a summary of the notes is written down in a space at the bottom of the page.

However, more and more, mind mapping techniques and the resulting mind maps themselves are being used as an effective means to record and memorize notes, respectively. From a practical point of view, topic maps can be thought of as a textual representation of mind maps. NotesMappr uses a topic map as its underlying data model providing it with the distinguishing feature, as a note taking app, to define relationships between notes in a very similar manner to what you would do with the nodes of a mind map.

How to Mind Map

How to Mind Map by http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipckr/

How to Mind Map by http://www.flickr.com/photos/zipckr/

Ultimately, when it comes to studying, having information organized in a contextual manner (by means of either topic maps or mind maps) contributes to the coherency of the information making it semantically meaningful ensuring that you, as the student, will be in a better position to understand and subsequently absorb the subject matter.

Posted in Mind maps, Note taking, NotesMappr, Semantic, Studying, Topic maps | Leave a comment

Features for the future

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Brett

This post, perhaps more than anything else, is a request to the readers of this blog to contribute ideas with regards to the future direction of NotesMappr.

Subsequent versions of NotesMappr could include the following features:

  • The ability to attach Google and Twitter searches to notes.
  • The ability to add Freebase queries to notes.
  • The ability to publish notes or excerpts of notes on Facebook and Twitter, respectively.
  • GoogleDocs synchronization.
  • The ability to directly share notes (and their associations/relationships) with other users of NotesMappr.
  • The ability to attach (map) coordinates to notes (and subsequently view said coordinates in GoogleMaps).
  • The ability to take a photo and attach it directly to a note.
  • The ability to convert individual contacts into notes and/or to add individual contacts to notes.

Over time, I will be adding more ideas for features for NotesMappr to this list. If you have any ideas for useful functionality that you would like to see included in future versions of NotesMappr, let me know by sending an email to feedback at polishedcode dot com.

So much code, so little time :-)

Posted in Android, Mobile, NotesMappr, Semantic, Topic maps | Leave a comment

The current state of NotesMappr

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Brett

After review, I estimate that NotesMappr is close to eighty percent done from a user interface point of view. That is, the app already accommodates adding, removing and editing notes in conjunction with the ability to manage a note’s associations. What’s left to be done? The ability to both browse and subsequently view images that have been attached to a note.

Furthermore, the overall design of the application is beginning to take shape, as well. A picture is worth a thousand words so take a look at the mock-up of the home screen to see the direction of the app’s current look-and-feel (which is still subject to change).

NotesMappr’s Home screen

NotesMappr Home screen design

NotesMappr Home screen design

For the sake of reference, NotesMappr uses a hub-and-spoke design pattern. That is, the app contains several discrete tasks that are reachable from one central screen (the home screen shown above); however, each section of the app is not directly navigable from every other one. This arrangement works very well for mobile apps, since it narrows the focus of the user to a small set of choices at any given time preventing (user) errors due to a simpler and (hopefully) more intuitive interface.

At the current rate of progress, NotesMappr is still on track to be released on Tuesday, February 15, 2011. Watch this space :-)

Posted in Android, Mobile, NotesMappr, Software | 1 Comment

Context is king – The benefit of using NotesMappr

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Brett

There are many note taking apps available on both the Android Market and the Apple iPhone App Store. The majority of them are very good; however, none of them, as far as I am aware, has the ability to semantically link notes, that is, placing notes within their appropriate context in relation to each other.

Obviously, a set of notes, in and of itself is a valuable thing. However, said set of notes becomes much, much more valuable if the notes themselves are related in an appropriate manner.

Having context gives you a lot of benefits. For example, context enables both easy and quick discovery of information saving you time. Furthermore, context enables you to expand your knowledge without the risk of your knowledge becoming disjointed or fragmented.

Hence, NotesMappr’s distinguishing feature is the ability to both establish formal relationships (or associations) between notes and subsequently “navigate” said notes in a very straightforward manner.

Note taking needs to evolve and now is the time for that to happen – we have all the pieces of the puzzle. The hardware is available in the form of mobile or portable computing devices, that is, (smart) mobile phones, tablets and so forth. We have the appropriate information structure, topic maps which allows us to break out of the traditional hierarchical straightjacket that we have gotten used to squeezing our information into. We don’t have to conform to arbitrary simple folder hierarchies. Instead, we have an information structure rich with semantic cross-links with multiple (perhaps) redundant navigation paths that will lead you to the same answer.

In summary, NotesMappr’s semantic note taking features enable the effective transmission and transformation of knowledge, ideas, and experiences. That is, NotesMappr is note taking that fits your brain.

Over the next couple of days, I will make available several tutorials on how to use NotesMappr’s contextual note taking features. Watch this space ;-)

Posted in Android, Mobile, NotesMappr, Software, Topic maps | Leave a comment

Hello world!

Posted on December 18, 2010 by Brett

Well, this is it. The beginning of my own mISV (or Micro ISV). Designing and developing software is my passion. So, this is my stab at pursuing that passion.

The first software product that I am developing as part of my mISV is NotesMappr, an application for the Google Android platform that combines note taking with topic maps.

All in all, the application is ninety percent done, but it is that last ten percent that is the hardest to do but makes all the difference. That is, wanting to develop something that is not standard but excellent, not ordinary but extraordinary.

I’ll keep you updated as to my progress.

Brett Alistair Kromkamp – Cruz de Tea, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain

Posted in Android, Java, Mobile, Software, Topic maps | Leave a comment