[fusion_alert type=”general” accent_color=”” background_color=”” border_size=”1px” icon=”” box_shadow=”yes” animation_type=”0″ animation_direction=”down” animation_speed=”0.1″ class=”” id=””]UPDATE: Now online – EyesightRx, the
new Android app, in Google Play.[/fusion_alert]
My goal is to give you a tool that’s always in your pocket, which allows you to measure your current centimeter distance and respective diopter correction. I want you to be able to do this without needing a ruler or any other objects besides your tablet or smartphone.
This is a first draft effort, I expect that we’ll have a few things to learn as you try the tool and hopefully offer feedback. A few issues I think we may be facing:
1) Inaccuracies In Measurement Results
Not only do we have the somewhat subjective aspect of blur distance to contend with, but also two more variables added in this approach. First, you will have to measure the length from your nose to your chin (to give the app a frame of reference to do the subsequent centimeter calculation). Second, you have to move the phone slightly to help it establish the distance.
While I’ve found my own results to be encouragingly consistent, above is certainly a drawback to something more simple and reliable like the new Myopia Ruler.
2) Large Number Of Significantly Different Devices
I don’t know how much this will affect the app. There are many different versions of Android, different cameras, different general hardware.
Will it matter? Will it be as much of an issue as the potential inaccuracies from the user and the app itself?
I don’t know, but we will likely find out.
3) Google Play Store & Users
Based on suggestions from an experienced developer and app publisher, I made this app a paid one, rather than free. Why?
He suggests that avoiding the casual downloader for an app of this nature will serve all parties well – less time wasted for casual users, as well as reduced potential negative feedback (there is a learning curve to using the app) who won’t want to spend money.
If you want to use the app though, and rather not pay to support it, here is how:
Preview / Free Review Copies
Anyone who has participated in the course itself is welcome to a direct download copy of the app. This means that I send you the app directly, and you install it on your device. The downside is that it isn’t connected to Google Play and won’t be receiving updates. I haven’t found a better solution for this yet.
Why only previous participants? I’d like users of the app to either have some familiarity with basic eyesight concepts beforehand (or very clearly be interested in learning). As you may well know, the subject of centimeter measurement does require a bit of patience initially.
If you’d like a copy, please send me a quick e-mail, along with your membership user name (expired or current, all are welcome).
Supporting Ongoing Development
It’s unlikely that the app will ever break even with the development cost – at least not any time soon, and not the way I am current running this site (rather quietly).
Still, if you want to support the future development of the app, you can buy it on the Play Store – I will provide a link here as soon as it is live.
Be aware that there is some chance you might be disappointed in this initial iteration. It truly is the very first version of this, and I have not the faintest idea how well it will do in terms of usefulness.
Still, I think it is very important that this sort of tool becomes simple and usable and available. Apps are a key tool for education, and in this age there is much less reading happening than use of interactive tools – to help those curious about eyesight, we need something to allow them to easily see the realities of myopia and vision correction first hand.
Next Goals
If the first version gets at least a little bit of positive feedback, I hope to make future versions easier to use, prettier, and build a reference framework of education around it.
Right now it’s just a simple measure, results, done sort of approach. If that part (which obviously is critical) works well enough, future versions will include more aspects about what the user should expect, and how to interpret the results. Including a log system that can analyze the meaning of left vs. right eye differences, inter-day strain, and myopia progression could also help the user get a better perspective about their eyesight.
Basic premises on how to avoid myopia in the first place, a differential prescription calculator, and other tools to help answer eyesight questions are on my list, if we make it past this initial stage.
First, let’s see if we can get reasonably accurate results ideally, and passable usability, hopefully.
new Android app, in Google Play.[/fusion_alert]
My goal is to give you a tool that’s always in your pocket, which allows you to measure your current centimeter distance and respective diopter correction. I want you to be able to do this without needing a ruler or any other objects besides your tablet or smartphone.
This is a first draft effort, I expect that we’ll have a few things to learn as you try the tool and hopefully offer feedback. A few issues I think we may be facing:
1) Inaccuracies In Measurement Results
Not only do we have the somewhat subjective aspect of blur distance to contend with, but also two more variables added in this approach. First, you will have to measure the length from your nose to your chin (to give the app a frame of reference to do the subsequent centimeter calculation). Second, you have to move the phone slightly to help it establish the distance.
While I’ve found my own results to be encouragingly consistent, above is certainly a drawback to something more simple and reliable like the new Myopia Ruler.
2) Large Number Of Significantly Different Devices
I don’t know how much this will affect the app. There are many different versions of Android, different cameras, different general hardware.
Will it matter? Will it be as much of an issue as the potential inaccuracies from the user and the app itself?
I don’t know, but we will likely find out.
3) Google Play Store & Users
Based on suggestions from an experienced developer and app publisher, I made this app a paid one, rather than free. Why?
He suggests that avoiding the casual downloader for an app of this nature will serve all parties well – less time wasted for casual users, as well as reduced potential negative feedback (there is a learning curve to using the app) who won’t want to spend money.
If you want to use the app though, and rather not pay to support it, here is how:
Preview / Free Review Copies
Anyone who has participated in the course itself is welcome to a direct download copy of the app. This means that I send you the app directly, and you install it on your device. The downside is that it isn’t connected to Google Play and won’t be receiving updates. I haven’t found a better solution for this yet.
Why only previous participants? I’d like users of the app to either have some familiarity with basic eyesight concepts beforehand (or very clearly be interested in learning). As you may well know, the subject of centimeter measurement does require a bit of patience initially.
If you’d like a copy, please send me a quick e-mail, along with your membership user name (expired or current, all are welcome).
Supporting Ongoing Development
It’s unlikely that the app will ever break even with the development cost – at least not any time soon, and not the way I am current running this site (rather quietly).
Still, if you want to support the future development of the app, you can buy it on the Play Store – I will provide a link here as soon as it is live.
Be aware that there is some chance you might be disappointed in this initial iteration. It truly is the very first version of this, and I have not the faintest idea how well it will do in terms of usefulness.
Still, I think it is very important that this sort of tool becomes simple and usable and available. Apps are a key tool for education, and in this age there is much less reading happening than use of interactive tools – to help those curious about eyesight, we need something to allow them to easily see the realities of myopia and vision correction first hand.
Next Goals
If the first version gets at least a little bit of positive feedback, I hope to make future versions easier to use, prettier, and build a reference framework of education around it.
Right now it’s just a simple measure, results, done sort of approach. If that part (which obviously is critical) works well enough, future versions will include more aspects about what the user should expect, and how to interpret the results. Including a log system that can analyze the meaning of left vs. right eye differences, inter-day strain, and myopia progression could also help the user get a better perspective about their eyesight.
Basic premises on how to avoid myopia in the first place, a differential prescription calculator, and other tools to help answer eyesight questions are on my list, if we make it past this initial stage.
First, let’s see if we can get reasonably accurate results ideally, and passable usability, hopefully.
