by Dave Rowe
What is it
MyBath is a mobile app to show local data.
Use of local data
I took data feeds exposed by the Banes web site, which include location data for the user’s nearest: libraries, licence applications (historic and new), planning applications, local councillors, bin collection dates, parks, allotments, play areas, schools, roadworks, and more (18 datasets in total).
It was challenging working through and compiling so much data, especially where some of it included custom HTML formatting, despite being a data feed.
An alpha proof of concept is on Google Play at: play.google.com
How I’d develop it further
I plan to continue developing this project, including adding functionality to:
- View each item on a map.
- Report it function to report problems to the council, including photo and exact location through mobile capabilities.
- Push notification admin website, to send notifications to users based on home location e.g. an emergency road closure.
- Local device alerts when detecting changes to the data e.g. a new licence application.
- Optional device alerts based on data held (e.g. an alert set for the night before bin collection day).
- Shortcut icons to provide actions for each data item, including: an option to share on social media, open up relevant URL (link to full planning application), make phone call (e.g. using councillor phone number), send feedback about data item (e.g a planning application).
The development can be tracked by following the app on Google Play, where I will be submitting regular updates (features and fixes) at least twice a week.
The technology used is Cordova, a framework allowing the development of mobile apps using HTML, which can be deployed to all devices (Android, iOS, BlackBerry, Windows Phone). To reproduce the mobile look and feel it uses the latest version of Ionic, currently also in alpha release.