AndroidGuys

We were fortunate enough to spend some time with Finn from TeeDroid, Inc. Based out of Texas, this startup company looks to be putting together yet another excellent golf tool for Android handsets. Reading the bio on their webpage, you’d see that he quit his job to work full time on this application. You’d never guess that this program, like many we’ve seen for Android, is from a one-man show. We’re pulling for Finn to get a share of that $5 million first round money so it will pay off immediately. Spend a few minutes to get to know him better and learn what makes TeeDroid different from other golfing apps.

Finn, thanks for taking the time to answer some questions. Can you tell us about you and your team?

All the developments has been done by me so far. A friend is helping out with operations, keeping the servers up and running etc. I also contracted a couple of artists for the logo and icons. The company is located in Austin TX, great town for software developers. Plus the weather is good for golf almost all year around.

Wow! All of the hard work has been you so far? Looks good! Have you written for any other operating systems?

I have written software for a lot of different systems. I started off in the game industry, writing games targeting the DOS/Windows platforms. From there I moved on to Air Traffic Control Training simulators. Most recently I worked on a company that did VOIP products and services. I have dabbled in a little bit of everything, Windows, Linux, Palm, jack of all trades you could say. Most of my recent software developing has been in Java, both front end web and back end systems.

How did this experience compare to writing for those other operating systems?

Android was a lot of fun. Its API is very nice, along with the plug-ins for Eclipse. It really was a breeze to pick up. The documentation is good and there are a lot of online resources available for Android. Learning about software developing is something I enjoy, so taking on Android was fun.

What are you working on for Android?

TeeDroid Caddy is a mobile golf caddying system. It provides tools for golfers to use on course as well as off course. It tracks a golfers game and statistics and has a very easy to use interface. I wanted to make sure that data input was not a hassle nor a distraction on the course. Golfers also have access to the TeeDroid website where they can analyze statistics, find other golfers, and a host of other functionality.

How much time did you invest in developing this TeeDroid Caddy? It had to be a lot since it was just you, right?

When I first started developing TeeDroid I still had a day job, so first the first two months I just worked evenings and weekends. I then realized that I would not be able to finish with a product I could be proud of so I decided to take the plunge and venture off on my own. The last 40 days I spent a crazy amount of time working, from checking my logs I would estimate north of 600 hours. The first couple of months I don’t have exact numbers for but I would guess about 300 hours or so.

That’s some dedication there. What attracted you to write for Android?

A couple of things; the SDK is Java which is my current preferred language, and the fact that it is backed by Google. I use a lot of Google products and their services and they have always impressed me. Once I started looking at Android I was really impressed with the UI implementation, it is nice and simple, yet very extendable.

What were some of the challenges you faced in writing TeeDroid Caddy?

The mock LBS provider system included with the Android platform did not really fit my needs, and made the application hard to demo. Golf requires the GPS fixes to be for a course, your position as it relates to the courses coordinates already mapped in the system. So I wrote a replacement for the existing LBS manager/providers. And while doing that I decided to write a hook-in for blue tooth GPS so that I could go out and actually use the system in the field.

Was the Android Developer Challenge the reason you got started?

Sure, it was one of the initial motivators. To get recognition and free marketing is definitely a plus, and a monetary award to boot. After a while the application became a motivation all of its own, it is something I like to use.

Have you received any feedback from other developers? If so, what are they saying?

After the challenge deadline passed I decided to put together a first pass of the website. Once that was done I announced the product on the Android Challenge board. Feedback so far has been good. I get feedback both from other Android developers as well as golfers from around the world. It has been been very rewarding to see what other people think of TeeDroid. When in development you are sort of in a vacuum and the outside point of view is very important. Something that makes sense to me, might not be as intuitive to others.

Real world use is a totally different animal than what a lot of developers foresee when writing. Will this application be for standard handsets or touch screen? What factors went into that decision?

I am going to target all the handsets capable of running the application. I have already started on providing specific layouts for different screen sizes and orientations. Android provides a host of ways to modify the application layout to target certain specs, relative layouts, scrolling, and tabs to mention a few. Users will also be able to customize which features the would like up front and center, turn on and off advanced features.

Do you see any other competition with your application?

Sure there are both other golf related Android projects as well as the multitude of golf GPS devices already on the market. I think my product stands out because it is already very feature complete, and because it is not just a standalone product but hooks into the website for additional features.

It seems to have a lot more to offer than the traditional “185 yards to hole” stuff we see on GPS units. Where do you see it fitting in? How will it help a golfer?

My target audience is all golfers, from beginner to advanced. It will help them both in giving accurate distances on course, and to understand their golf game. Game improvement will come from analyzing statistics like do they usually hit their shots left, the Caddy can remind them to adjust their aim, or give tips on how to alter their swing. They will also be able to get accurate statistics on how far they hit their clubs. Game recommendations and analysis is something that I will spend a lot of time developing.

Do you anticipate writing any other applications?

Currently there are no plans for other applications, TeeDroid is a big project in and of itself. To do it full justice, and provide excellent service I will be concentrating on further developing it.

How do you plan to get the word out about your program?

I have not really cracked this nut yet. There are many factors that play into it. Winning the Android Developers Challenge would of course help. Once there are phones out, I am hoping that it will spread virally. Golfers seeing others using it on the course and deciding to get it for themselves.

That word of mouth referral is the best advertisement one can get. How will you make it available? Any idea as to what it might cost to buy?

Pricing is another issue I have not dealt with yet. I am still trying to gather statistics on the cost of running the servers, cost of bandwidth etc, to be able to make an informed decision on how to price it. I don’t anticipate it being more than a yearly subscription equal to about a round of golf, but as I said, still trying to evaluate cost to make sure I can provide quality service.

How soon will we see it on the greens?

The mobile application is stable and has what I would consider the minimum set of features ready for it to be useful to a golfer. So far it has, distance calculations on course, course search (both by criteria, and near current location), create/edit course information including scorecards and GPS coordinate sets, clubs in the bag, play by play shot tracking, club distance and targeting statistics, round statistics (accuracy, longest drive, greens in regulation), hole advice, and real time live scoring. These are just an overview of the features, and there will be more added by the time phones come out.

That’s a lot of features right out of the gate! Future additions will only help separate you, so keep them coming.

Given an opportunity to start over, what would you do differently?

Start earlier and give myself more time, there are many features that were put on hold due to time constraints.

Do you plan to buy an Android phone?

I will get a phone the day they come out. Then I will be able to retire my old phone, and my somewhat clunky ultra mobile PC that I am currently using for testing. Not that I am complaining, it has a touchscreen, built in AT&T data network, and runs the emulator really well. It has been invaluable during the development process. Also the wide variety of applications that I have seen from the Challenge definitely makes me want a phone that I can run the applications on.

From your perspective, how successful do you think Android will be? Why?

I think Android will be successful, open and free platforms have usually triumphed in the past. The Android Developers Challenge was a really good move to solve the chicken and the egg problem, how do you get applications built for a platform that does not have users yet and vice versa. Plus the Open Handset Alliance has a very impressive list of companies backing Android. Users are ready for mobile devices to take the next step. An open platform will enable developers to experiment and provide users will a wide variety of application choices.

Google is sitting across the table from you… what do you say to them?

Thank you for a great platform and the support you have given the developers. For an early version, the SDK was very good, and really intuitive to develop on. Please continue the great work.

What would you do if you won $25,000 from the Android Developer Challenge?

I would invest it in making TeeDroid better. It would definitely help out with the expenses and perhaps I could get a hold of some actual test devices/phones to speed up making a production version. You never know what is going to happen until it is actually in the hands of users and on actual devices.

Thanks again for spending time with us Finn. We’re anxious to see TeeDroid Caddy in the wild and can’t wait to see what future features you have in store for it. Our fingers are crossed - we hope you get some of that Developers Challenge money!