[Owncloud] GSoC idea: syncing client for Android

[Silvère Lestang]

Hi all,
I would like to work on ownCloud for the GSoC as this project really
interested me, but I have little knowledge of C++/Qt and the proposal of a
syncing client for KDE is already taken.
I think that a syncing client for another platform can be good idea and will
make ownCloud less KDE centric. I know quite well Java for using it in many
modules at the Uni and I want to make a Android application but never find a
good idea of app to make. So I would like to develop an ownCloud syncing
client for Android platform as a GSoC project.

The number of Android devices is currently increasing rapidly and will
certainly explode in the incoming months/years, making the Android platform
a relevant choice to bring ownCloud to a maximum of users.
Furthermore mobile device have typically a little of storage making
difficult to keep in it a lot of files but as you always have it with you,
it's the perfect device to access all your data wherever you are. So the
Android syncing client could download files only on request (e.g. from your
mobile, you browse your files which are store on your ownCloud server and
when you find the one that you want, the client download it) and upload only
when certain rules are follow (e.g. upload all my new files to the server
only when I am connect with wifi). I need to think more about the uniqueness
of the mobile platform and how we can handle them but I think I can make it.

Do you think my idea is good? Do you think it's can work as a GSoC project?
I am conscious than I need to find a mentor with knowledge of the Android
platform and that most people working on ownCloud are from the KDE
community, where can I find a mentor? (Android dev mailing list?)
I am also conscious that I start to think about this quite late as the
deadline for student application is Friday of this week but it was difficult
to me devote time to this because of the Uni.

Cheers,

Silvère
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