Podcatcher - BBC Software Engineering & Internet Applications MSc - Mobile Applications Android

As part of the course, a deliverable is a final project that covers certain topics learned over the period of the three day course. The final project is in the form of a fully functioning Android application. This document proposes the details of the project, how it aims to cover the requirements of the final project and justifications.

Background

Podcasts have become an increasingly popular way to distribute digital audio over the Internet. The term 'podcast' was coined as a cross between iPod and broadcast. Whether this is radio shows, documentaries, interviews and lectures to name a few. These normally use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds as a structured standard to expose podcasts to be consumed by software on computers, mp3 players, mobile phones and tablets. This means that the creators of the content can have subscribers to the audio content they are producing and push new items to user who subscribe to that feed. Because of the number of ways to consume podcasts they are ever increasing in popularity including on Android devices.

Podcatcher Application

The aim of this project is to produce an android application that subscribes to Podcast RSS feeds or what is sometimes know as a ‘Podcatcher’. Users of the application will be able to:

• Add Podcasts

• Subscribe permanently to Podcasts

• Check them for updates

• Play selected podcasts

Creating an application that does this covers the majority of requirements for the project.

Requirements

The application should cover:

• UI design (Activity, Fragment, View components)

• Network Connections

• XML (or JSON) data parsing

• Database implementation

• Location Detection

• Gestures (including multi-touches)

• Animation and Sensors;

The target device:

• Google Nexus 7 tablet (2013, the second generation):

• Screen resolution: 1200x1920 (including system bars);

• Screen density: 323ppi (127ppcm);

• SDK version: 19 (Android 4.4.4 KITKAT);

• Camera: a 1.2-MP 720p front-facing and a 5.0-MP 1080p rear-facing camera;

UI Design

This application will use the Android Holo theme to give the application and familiar feel to users of the Android operating system. It will use Activities, List Views, Notifications and Audio Player to listen to selected podcasts

Database implementation

The details of the Podcast (metadata and RSS feed URL will be stored locally in an SQLite database so that users can remember and delete their chosen podcasts

Network Connections

As podcast information is delivered via RSS, these will have to be polled over the internet to get the latest updates. The audio files, typically MP3 will be streamed to the audio player over the internet.

XML Parsing

RSS is an xml based format will be parsed and relevant information extracted and stored by the application

Data Parsing

An RSS formatted xml feed will be parsed and podcast items selectable and mp3 played

Location Detection

Unfortunately there is not an obvious way to incorporate location detection in this application as the nature of podcasts are that they are global and available to everyone with a means of subscribing to them

Gestures

Podcasts are selectable by pressing on them and long press to delete, individual podcast episodes are selectable which will then load them into the Audio Player

Animations and Sensors

If a user shakes their Android device in the initial.main view, it will launch the add podcast screen for adding new podcasts