Alun Williams - Google+
Here's one that may be of interest, which has already featured on our electroincs hobbyist blog Gadget Master - Android phones hack their way with IOIO breakout boardThe "IOIO" board, from SparkFun, is an easy way to get to get I/O from an Android device's USB connection (OS versions 1.5 and greater).
The board apparently uses a Java API to hook into your phone's app, and this means you can extend the functionality of the phone out to external sensors and controls.
SparkFun writes:
The IOIO board contains a single MCU that acts as a USB host and interprets commands from an Android app. In addition, the IOIO can interact with peripheral devices in the same way as most MCUs. Digital Input/Output, PWM, Analog Input, I2C, SPI, and UART control can all be used with the IOIO. Code to control these interfaces is written in the same way as you write an Android app with the help of a simple to use app-level library. In other words, you can combine the awesome computing power, Internet/Bluetooth connectivity, touch screen, and a variety of sensors from your Android device with the ability to easily add peripheral devices to interact with the outside world. Also, using the IOIO does not require any hardware or software modifications to your Android device, thus preserving the warranty as well as making the functionality available to non-hackers.See the video below, for example, of an app that hooks out to intelligently control an alarm clock...
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