OpenIntents has been accepted for Google Summer of Code 2012! Students are welcome to apply. Preset your idea and send us your patches in our developer forum. Apply at Google Melange.

The list of ideas of our organization for this summer include: Cloud sync for various OI apps: synchronize your items in OI Shopping List or passwords in OI Safe accross all your devices; WebIntents on Android: bridge the gap between the desktop and your mobile device; Design guidelines for Android 4.0: create visually stunning OI apps; Extended testing support for SensorSimulator; Port OI apps from Android to other platforms like iPhone or Windows Phone 7; Create a desktop web client for OI apps; Enhance the OI app plugin system; other ideas by the students themselves!

Over 300 tasks were performed during this year's Google Code-in competition. Over 30 issues were fixed in the various OI applications, over 40 icons were designed, over 180 translation tasks were completed (new languages include for example Greek, Japanese, or Norwegian). Screenshots were created, Market descriptions were written, automated tests were written. A very nice discovery were the creators of a series of promotion videos for OI apps.

OpenIntents has been selected as participating organization in the Google Summer of Code 2011. Interested students can submit their proposals until April 8, 19:00 UTC to write code for our open source software project. Inspiration for proposals can be found on the GSoC ideas page. It is recommended to get in touch with potential mentors as early as possible through our developers' discussion group.

Today the programm for Droidcon Berlin 2011 has been announced and I (@fmdroid) would like to share my personal favourites:
Apart from the keynotes about tablets, augmented reality and 3D user interfaces I am looking forward to the talks about

* real time translation from speech to text for people with hearing difficulties
* the AR framework developped at the RWTH Aachen that was introduced last year
* Qt for Android and the Android plugin for Qt Designer
* Motorola ATRIX and their solution for the splits between web apps and native apps

Yesterday, Android 2.3 has been announced and it includes support for NFC Tag reading. The integration is quite easy because the NFC controller just starts the intent NfcAdapter.ACTION_TAG_DISCOVERED as soon as a tag is discovered.

In order to handle a discovered tag, add an intent filter for this action "android.nfc.action.TAG_DISCOVERED" and read the two extras from the intent like the following in your activity:

byte[] tagId = intent.getByteArrayExtra(NfcAdapter.EXTRA_ID);
NdefMessage[] msgs = (NdefMessage[]) intent.getParcelableArrayExtra(NfcAdapter.EXTRA_NDEF_MESSAGES);

Last week, OpenIntents and the droidcon organization team received a cease and desist letter from Lucasfilm (Indian Jones, Star Wars, etc.) because we used "droidcon" for the Android conference in Germany. Lucasfilm claims "DROIDS" and variations as well as "iDroids" and "iDroidsMania" as trademarks in Europe.

We try to find a settlement out of court but the outcome is not clear. We only refer to Android and do not have anything to do with Star Wars. If Lucasfilm wants to stop all Android developers and companies to use the abbreviation droid we are in trouble. Please wish us luck!

Many users have been asking for this feature - finally we have it: Barcode OI Plugin lets you scan items directly into your OI Shopping List. Scan your item again to check it off your list! Currently, UPC barcodes are automatically resolved. European EAN codes are not yet supported, but you can enter a custom description for barcodes that can not be resolved, and the plugin will remember them.

In time for the beginning of the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, we have a new World Cup Theme available. It features three themes inspired by the Football World Cup 2010 in South Africa: a default theme, a soccer ball theme, and an Adidas (TM) Jabulani (TM) theme. We wish you all a highly enjoyable World Cup 2010!

This theme works with OI Notepad and OI Shopping List.
It is currently only available in Android Market.

A new themes is available: Blackboard Theme features a black and a green blackboard, with a white chalk font. Get the nostalgic feeling of being back in school. Or if you are still in school, you can finally write on the blackboard whatever you want! It's all yours! The teacher won't know.

This theme works with OI Notepad and OI Shopping List.
It is currently only available in Android Market.