Articles exploring mobile development, IoT systems, and software engineering practices.https://tinkernorth.com/https://tinkernorth.com/being-connected-is-not-enough-iot-is-not-only-the-future-it-is-the-present/https://tinkernorth.com/being-connected-is-not-enough-iot-is-not-only-the-future-it-is-the-present/The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term used to describe vast opportunities to connect non-traditional devices and systems to the internet. While connecting these things to the internet is important, how you use these connected devices is...Sun, 25 Nov 2018 23:34:06 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/iot-hero.8L98yhSM.jpg" alt="Being connected isn’t enough IoT isn’t only the future, it’s the present." /><p>The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term used to describe vast opportunities to connect non-traditional devices and systems to the internet. While connecting these things to the internet is important, how you use these connected devices is...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/canada-tv/https://tinkernorth.com/canada-tv/A Google TV app that allowed Canadian users to access their TV listings. Built to showcase HoneyComb on Google TV.Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/canada-tv-hero.C6HCS0xl.png" alt="Canada TV" /><p>A Google TV app that allowed Canadian users to access their TV listings. Built to showcase HoneyComb on Google TV.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/code-with-friends/https://tinkernorth.com/code-with-friends/An interactive drag-and-drop coding quiz that teaches HTML and CSS basics. Drag answer labels into code blanks and run the result to see if you got it right.Fri, 01 Jun 2012 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/code-with-friends-hero.BadcU6qL.png" alt="Code With Friends" /><p>An interactive drag-and-drop coding quiz that teaches HTML and CSS basics. Drag answer labels into code blanks and run the result to see if you got it right.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/clicks-and-glass-four-things-to-consider-when-developing-apps-for-google-glass/https://tinkernorth.com/clicks-and-glass-four-things-to-consider-when-developing-apps-for-google-glass/You’ve seen the reviews, the keynotes, the videos and the endless debates on whether this sci-fi tech-like innovation is a solution, a problem, or just an unfinished idea. Yet, we all can agree that Google’s Project Glass, deemed to be the next hot ...Wed, 28 Nov 2018 01:40:45 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/google-glass-display.DHleRYQw.png" alt="Clicks and Glass: Four Things to Consider When Developing Apps for Google Glass." /><p>You’ve seen the reviews, the keynotes, the videos and the endless debates on whether this sci-fi tech-like innovation is a solution, a problem, or just an unfinished idea. Yet, we all can agree that Google’s Project Glass, deemed to be the next hot ...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/device-wall-a-second-screen-experiment/https://tinkernorth.com/device-wall-a-second-screen-experiment/Recently Pivotal Labs decided to push mobile devices to the limit by connecting multiple devices to one other in order to have them behave as one. Through the use of image recognition, optical character recognition, persistent low cost connections ...Mon, 26 Nov 2018 00:07:08 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/device-wall-hero.B0HMeHSy.png" alt="Device Wall: A second screen experiment." /><p>Recently Pivotal Labs decided to push mobile devices to the limit by connecting multiple devices to one other in order to have them behave as one. Through the use of image recognition, optical character recognition, persistent low cost connections ...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/google-tv-the-full-monty/https://tinkernorth.com/google-tv-the-full-monty/Some time has passed since my initial investigation of Google TV. While this is still relevant, a lot is happening. OEMs are starting to show their support with different Google TV implementations and Google has also kept their partners busy with newer...Wed, 28 Nov 2018 02:38:57 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/sony-google-tv-bluray.YNWFu83X.jpg" alt="Google TV: The Full Monty" /><p>Some time has passed since my initial investigation of Google TV. While this is still relevant, a lot is happening. OEMs are starting to show their support with different Google TV implementations and Google has also kept their partners busy with newer...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/litte-droid-creator/https://tinkernorth.com/litte-droid-creator/Little Droid Creator was designed to showcase the dynamic engine on which it runs. This document will first describe at a high level what the game offers then we will dig down into the technical aspects of the program and talk about how it offers the ...Sun, 02 Dec 2018 04:55:02 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/little-droid-creator.BcIwaHy9.png" alt="Litte Droid Creator" /><p>Little Droid Creator was designed to showcase the dynamic engine on which it runs. This document will first describe at a high level what the game offers then we will dig down into the technical aspects of the program and talk about how it offers the ...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/java-threads-an-inconvenient-truth/https://tinkernorth.com/java-threads-an-inconvenient-truth/A good understanding of multi-threading in the traditional unix memory model is required for the following tutorial.Wed, 28 Nov 2018 03:01:10 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/java-threads-hero.npa-qx6H.png" alt="Java Threads an Inconvenient Truth" /><p>A good understanding of multi-threading in the traditional unix memory model is required for the following tutorial.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/google-tv-review/https://tinkernorth.com/google-tv-review/Google TV is a multimedia centre that takes in an HDMI feed and overlays it with the Android operating system. It attempts to connect to and communicate with a settop box (cable box) through the connecting HDMI cable. It reads channel ...Wed, 28 Nov 2018 03:35:12 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/logitech-revue.rs--GwTw.jpg" alt="Google TV Review" /><p>Google TV is a multimedia centre that takes in an HDMI feed and overlays it with the Android operating system. It attempts to connect to and communicate with a settop box (cable box) through the connecting HDMI cable. It reads channel ...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/liason-android-mvvm-framework/https://tinkernorth.com/liason-android-mvvm-framework/An Android MVVM framework built in 2014 using ContentProviders, CursorLoaders, and SQLite views, solving the same problems Google's Architecture Components would address three years later.Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/liason-hero.D2iju98E.png" alt="Liason: MVVM on Android Before Architecture Components Existed" /><p>An Android MVVM framework built in 2014 using ContentProviders, CursorLoaders, and SQLite views, solving the same problems Google's Architecture Components would address three years later.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/little-droid-physics/https://tinkernorth.com/little-droid-physics/The idea behind droid physics was to offer a simple physics environment that would aid early high school students to understand some of the properties of physics. In particular, acceleration, projectile motion and Friction.Sun, 02 Dec 2018 04:52:09 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/little-droid-physics.DwJmrBXa.png" alt="Little Droid Physics" /><p>The idea behind droid physics was to offer a simple physics environment that would aid early high school students to understand some of the properties of physics. In particular, acceleration, projectile motion and Friction.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/parchment-android-adapterview-library/https://tinkernorth.com/parchment-android-adapterview-library/A custom Android library providing horizontal ListView, GridView, ViewPager, and GridPatternView with built-in snap positioning, circular scrolling, and declarative grid patterns. Built for Google TV and tablets before RecyclerView existed, and still offering features RecyclerView lacks today.Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/parchment-hero.dkw9mHUU.png" alt="Parchment: The Android AdapterView Library That Still Does What RecyclerView Can't" /><p>A custom Android library providing horizontal ListView, GridView, ViewPager, and GridPatternView with built-in snap positioning, circular scrolling, and declarative grid patterns. Built for Google TV and tablets before RecyclerView existed, and still offering features RecyclerView lacks today.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/practical-android-design/https://tinkernorth.com/practical-android-design/I have received many mocks for Android applications that were beautiful but did not translate appropriately to devices. The mocking/design process tends to happen separately or before the development process...Wed, 28 Nov 2018 01:50:53 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/android-design-hero.2oKsEm1j.jpg" alt="Practical Android Design" /><p>I have received many mocks for Android applications that were beautiful but did not translate appropriately to devices. The mocking/design process tends to happen separately or before the development process...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/star-fighter-javascript-open-source/https://tinkernorth.com/star-fighter-javascript-open-source/A senior engineer's retrospective on a DOM-based space shooter built with jQuery and CSS positioning circa 2010. The architecture of using HTML elements as game entities, and what it reveals about learning web development in the Web 2.0 era.Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/star-fighter-js-hero.CB1SmOnI.png" alt="Reviewing My Own Web 2.0 Code: Star Fighter in JavaScript (2010)" /><p>A senior engineer's retrospective on a DOM-based space shooter built with jQuery and CSS positioning circa 2010. The architecture of using HTML elements as game entities, and what it reveals about learning web development in the Web 2.0 era.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/star-fighter-qbasic-open-source/https://tinkernorth.com/star-fighter-qbasic-open-source/A senior engineer's honest retrospective on a DOS space shooter written in QBasic 4.5 circa 2000. Breaking down the game engine, the clever hacks, the architectural blind spots, and what I'd do differently today.Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/star-fighter-qbasic-hero.D_273SI_.png" alt="Reviewing My Own High School Code: Star Fighter in QBasic" /><p>A senior engineer's honest retrospective on a DOS space shooter written in QBasic 4.5 circa 2000. Breaking down the game engine, the clever hacks, the architectural blind spots, and what I'd do differently today.</p>https://tinkernorth.com/the-power-and-structure-of-push-a-second-screen-solution/https://tinkernorth.com/the-power-and-structure-of-push-a-second-screen-solution/Second screen has been a buzzword for quite some time and rightfully so. Getting our tech gadgets to work as one has always been a desire. With the adoption of phones as the dominant personal computer over the last few years, we've naturally wanted to...Mon, 26 Nov 2018 20:34:40 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/second-screen-hero.CLrWD8yb.png" alt="The power and structure of push: A second screen solution." /><p>Second screen has been a buzzword for quite some time and rightfully so. Getting our tech gadgets to work as one has always been a desire. With the adoption of phones as the dominant personal computer over the last few years, we've naturally wanted to...</p>https://tinkernorth.com/twitter-reader/https://tinkernorth.com/twitter-reader/An Android app built as part of an Android development tutorial. It searches Twitter for keywords using the Twitter Search API.Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT<img src="https://tinkernorth.com/_astro/twitter-reader-hero.CV3CYrdH.png" alt="Twitter Reader" /><p>An Android app built as part of an Android development tutorial. It searches Twitter for keywords using the Twitter Search API.</p>