If you are drawn to amateur science or citizen science, chances are at some point you've also fantasized about having a Star Trek-style tricorder, an all-in-one scientific instrument that you could use to scan the world around you. With a good collection of apps, a Google Android smart phone is definitely a step in the right direction. [ Click here to read more » ]

The Android platform allows smart phones to be scripted using Python and the Android Scripting Environment (ASE). We can use this as a way of delivering mobile tools to NiCHE members who are equipped with Android devices. (These are currently available through Rogers.)

As a schematic example, suppose we have a traditional "Hello, world" program:

# hello-niche.py