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[dhouston]

Just wanted to second the recommendation for Basic4Android.  I missed the punch card days but I caught up with you at Fortran and sounds like we have pretty common background with the micros and such.  Anyway, I traditionally do more C these days but have lots of java experience as well and was using the normal android dev environment for a while.

Thanks for your input - it echoes what I've seen on B4A forums.

I spent the latter part of my working life in management. I learned a little C and Pascal so I could understand the engineers/techs but Basic (initially being very Fortran-like) was far easier for me to use for things I needed. Once retired, I was just too old to spend a lot of time learning new languages and have found Basic dialects for the things that interest me. PureBasic for Windows, Linux & OSX typically beats C in compiled size and speed. It took about 20 minutes for me to port a rather large app developed under Windows to Linux and about 20 seconds to port the Linux code to OSX. Changes were mostly API-specific (and mostly dealt with COM port enumeration - not normally done under Linux & OSX) and PB gives access to all the APIs as well as inline ASM. It's only $99, supports Windows, Linux, OSX & Amiga (latter no longer updated and now open source) and with free lifetime updates. Unfortunately, its development has slowed recently as the young fellows who started it and have done most of the coding are out of school, starting families and working other jobs but it does what I need.

[Tuicemen]

Just in case someone is still looking for this and the discount code that dhouston supplied has ran out here is a new code: bmifyc
The purchase page link is: http://www.basic4ppc.com/android/purchase.html
Hey it may get me some extra free updates!
Yes I did pick this up!

I'm not sure if this will mean an android version of PCC but I'll play with the idea!
thanks again dhouston
 

[YB]

question, this basic for android thing.

I know of another language porting for android, but it uses a special install of extra languages (SL4A) to the device. so using for this example, python, would be unsatisfactory to upload to the marketplace.

Is this the same case for basic for android? Does the apps require a second app to run the app that is built? or is the program your getting, take all the basic, and rewrite it in java?

[dhouston]

Since it needs the Java JDK and Android SDK, I suspect it compiles to Java first. Here's what the web page says...

Compiles to native bytecode. No runtime libraries are required. APK files created are exactly the same as APK files created with Java / Eclipse

• http://www.basic4ppc.com/android/why.html

While I have Basic4Android, I'm still awaiting my Android tablet so I cannot answer with more authority which should come once I can try some hand* on developing. Perhaps helihead can answer based on hands on experience.

*I'm partially paralyzed and one hand is useless so I can't do hands on.  

[dhouston]

I ordered an Android tablet yesterday that should be here this week. I can start playing with Basic4Android then, getting some hand-on experience. I'll probably do a Universal IR Remote using the headphone output and do a USB-310MHz RF dongle for X10 control. The latter will be for my own use as I've no inclination to spend $$$$ for FCC testing. I might be able to publish it as a DIY project - it will depend on the final details.

I have other projects but they will require WiFi links to my hardware.

[Tuicemen]

With wifi enabled one should be able to talk to a PCC with all this IR, RF stuff already connected.
Some third party softwares can do this now althought they are built for the windows platform.
No need to make the Airpad any bigger with added dongles.
However I understand your urge to tinker for your own use.
 

[HA Dave]

I like dhouston's idea of turning a tablet (or two) into an actual el-cheapie touchpad/HA PC combo. Now... if they could just except voice commands as well....

[J.B.]

It is possible to use the AirPad with the AHP mobile apps just as a smart phone. The only down side is you still require your AHP computer running and have to purchase the apps from x10.

[HA Dave]

.... The only down side is you still require your AHP computer running and have to purchase the apps from x10.

Even with the down side.... that is pretty awesome stuff. I am happy now with my Voice Control HA PC. But it doesn't seem as if my setup will ever be complete.

Over the years.... I've gone from desktop PC's to laptops.... I think tablets will be a natural progression. My HA desktop is currently only an old P2 that was originally built for the then current windows 98. I think tablets might be within the range of reqired processing power needed for even Voice Control... and certainly for HA.

[Tuicemen]

I like dhouston's idea of turning a tablet (or two) into an actual el-cheapie touchpad/HA PC combo. Now... if they could just except voice commands as well....

All Android phones are capable of voice recognition since the Airpad has a microphone plug I suppect it is too!
 

[Tesla]

With wifi enabled one should be able to talk to a PCC with all this IR, RF stuff already connected.
... No need to make the Airpad any bigger with added dongles.

I agree and this is how I see it fitting into a HA system (just a WiFi control panel to the main HA computer controller). I personally wouldn't trust an Android Device to "run the show". I think that computer still needs to be running a more mature OS (Windows, Linux, or OS-X). But still ... a very nice contribution to the system as a whole.

[dhouston]

Voice Control of HA has been around for several years. Hal2000 & HomeVoice were available in the '90s.

IIRC, Dr. Edward Cheung used one of those in his house. He posted frequently to comp.home.automation. He even suggested using FRS wristwatch radios although I don't know whether he actually implemented it.

I first got involved with HA & X10 in the mid-90s because I had written some software that allowed people who had lost the ability to speak from brain injuries, ALS, etc. to use text-to-speech on a PC or laptop to speak. They could even use the phone with a speakerphone modem. Adding control of lights and appliances seemed a logical progression. I got to know a lot of severely disabled people who needed assistance. One was a young engineer who was a quadriplegic from a diving accident who used voice control for nearly everything. But he was the exception as it really wasn't ready for primetime back then. In olden days it was not very good and required expensive mics, good audio equipment, parabolic reflectors, etc. and there was a limited vocabulary that had to be spoken precisely. That entire area was disrupted by the Lernout & Hauspie scam which bought up all of the speech related companies, including the Truvoice engine that I used,  before their pyramid collapsed.

Speech recognition has probably come a long way since then. The automotive market has driven the development of new chips with more sophisticated algorithms but I really haven't investigated it lately as it never appealed to me but if that's your preference, have at it.

[Tesla]

All Android phones are capable of voice recognition since the Airpad has a microphone plug I suppect it is too!

If anyone gets any other mic to work on the AirPad (other than the internal one, of course) please post how you did it here:

http://forums.x10.com/index.php?topic=24960.0

[Tesla]

Voice Control of HA has been around for several years. Hal2000 & HomeVoice were available in the '90s.

It's my understanding (which could be wrong   ) that the major players in Recognition these days are Microsoft and Nuance.

For voices (or Text to Speech) ... I always thought the AT&T Natural Voices (high sample) sounded pretty good. I kinda wonder who ended up with that technology. But that was several years ago, and I haven't compared them to the latest Microsoft offerings. But listening to Anna in Win-7 just now ... sounds really good to me.

And this leads back to the other post ... to have all this cool stuff running and available for HA ... you really need a nice computer and OS ... Android can just barely run itself properly   . It is what it is ... use the right tool for the right job.

[dhouston]

...to have all this cool stuff running and available for HA ...  ... use the right tool for the right job.

As much as I appreciate all the unsolicited advice and criticism, I've been doing this long, long, long time and, as stated earlier, have no interest in speech recognition. The cool HA things I want to do will be done over a WiFi link to embedded hardware of my own design with no need for a PC although I usually provide configuration software that runs on Windows/Linux/OSX and users can run it if they wish to monitor and control the hardware but both functions can now be performed using almost any WiFi enabled tablet. It's only been recently with the proliferation of low cost Android tablets that this avenue has become attractive economically. I'm well aware of various HA hardware that's available and some of the developers of those devices will remember me from early testing and development - I supported some of them in earlier projects. But I can do most of what is needed in the average residence with very inexpensive hardware with no need of existing devices other than interfaces for X-10, UPB, Insteon and several other players to be named later.