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<body class='hmmessage'><div dir='ltr'>Hi!<BR> <BR>I'm Dhruv Chand, an engineering undergraduate based in Bangalore. Browsing through the list of project ideas for gsoc 2013, I found the tux4kids mobile project idea particularly interesting. My younger sibling uses tux4kids at home and I have a great idea of how fun these programs are! Kudos! :)<BR> <BR>My idea is for the mobile version Tux Typing application.<BR>Due to the limit size and the different form factors of mobile devices, I found it sensible to think of an approach where the "keys" of the on-screen keyboard are directly woven with the game, so as to make it less of a pain to type on an already limited screen real estate.<BR> <BR>I have <strong>attached </strong>a rudimentary mock-up of how the game screen may look like. (DropBox Link: <a href="http://www.dropbox.com/s/vehnpeg5qb8trek/TuxTypingMockup.png">www.dropbox.com/s/vehnpeg5qb8trek/TuxTypingMockup.png</a> ) It is essentially a remake of the classic Whac-a-Mole game. Depending upon the particular key press expected from the user ('g' in the mockup), that key is "lit up" by Tux. <BR>Initially, kids may concentrate on the position of Tux and aim for him, but, as the levels progress and time passes, I believe the connection between a key and its position will be subconsciously recorded thanks to Tux's repeated appearances! In my opinion, this subconscious registration is key to fast typing, as one does not "search" for a key. This mapping will also continue on a full scale hardware keyboard.<BR> <BR>Besides new avatars of tux, new music,new color schemes and new user controlled animations (such as Tux chasing an msn-ish butterfly,for example) , different levels would involve varying difficulty of words (such as farther levels containing words like 'stewardess', which involve a greater deal of finger agility than say 'apple') and even whole sentences. <BR> <BR>Coming to the technical aspects, such an app can be programmed on the PhoneGap platform using html(5)+js+css. Due to the fairly simplistic nature of the ui, seamless operation across mobile platforms is very plausible. <BR> <BR>I'm still refining this idea and would be really glad to hear suggestions and criticisms from you guys. I'm also trying to conceptualize an idea for Tux Math too.<BR> <BR> <BR>Thank you so much for your time and patience,<BR>Sincerely,<BR>Dhruv Chand.<BR> <BR> <BR>Link to CV : <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/g2nyluuetelugjd/Curriculum%20Vitae%20-%20Dhruv%20Chand.pdf">https://www.dropbox.com/s/g2nyluuetelugjd/Curriculum%20Vitae%20-%20Dhruv%20Chand.pdf</a><BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> </div></body>
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