Programming languages I am familiar with: Java, C++ and HTML
develop some sort of scheduling dashboard for users to show how much time they have committed each week. many people use schedules but just to plug in appointments. they can often overcommit to things, which can lead to increased stress and lack of adequate sleep. my idea is to show how much a user has committed to categories such as work, school, family, fitness, etc so that when presented with a new opportunity or request, they could quickly say "I have 20hrs of school commitments this week" or "I need to spend more time with family". the app/program would tally hours need in each category and show in a single display.
I think that many people use schedules but when they are getting a request to add an event (friend calls to see movie, a work event or conference, or attending a lecture at school) they only look to see if the slot is open, e.g. " I am free on tuesday at 11 and there is a cool lecture..." without looking at all commitments for the week and the time required. for example, even though tuesday is free at 11, that time may be needed for reading or homework that is not reflected on the calendar. the user could set their preference or profiles to show what their desired weekly breakdown is, say work 30 hrs, 5hrs fitness, 10hrs classes, 20hrs reading, etc. I realize that these events could all be scheduled individually, but most people do not do this. my app would alert someone when they look to add an event such as symposium from 6-10pm, for example, that they are now encroaching into their reading or studying time. or that they have a goal of 56hrs of sleep each week (8hrs a night) and they are committing to too many projects to complete without reducing sleep time. or that they have only worked out 2hrs of their goal of 5hrs for the week. or that taking an extra shift at work will impact school and family time. the goal is to provide a simple one look screen to say "yeah I can do this..." or "I might not want to because I have a project that requires lots of reading...". otherwise a person would have to tally up their hours committed to each event and category.
Social component:I suppose people could share schedules, though this seems a bit personal if you have family and other private time in it. perhaps students could share only class related info such as study time or lectures.
Health benefit: Improve health through reducing stress and ensuring proper amount of sleep by preventing user from overscheduling/overcommitting.
app/website to show locations of cross-country (XC) ski trails/ areas in Massachusetts (could add NH VT and ME) with proximity to the user. provide users with quick links to XC ski areas and parks or private land where XC touring is allowed. A review of the apple apps store shows many map services or route trackers for XC skiing in Europe, Colorado and even one for Connecticut, but nothing specific to MA (or the other NE states). there are many GPS tracker apps for downhill and XC skiing so it does not make sense to compete with these very complete and complex systems. many of the reviews note issues with battery drain or poor signal, so with my non-existent mobile programming skills, tackling such issues is well beyond my scope. my idea would perhaps use simple GPS location of the user to find the closest areas and perhaps provide links to these areas (not sure of best way to do this). if possible show current trail conditions and temperature. allow user to track runs and areas visited, with rating and input options.
Social component: users could connect with other local users to carpool to areas or plan events. user could see a list of users in his/her area and be presented with an option to connect (a la Linkedin). users could self rate their skill level to find other users of comparable skill/fitness (it does not make sense to match a beginner looking for a 45 min leisurely ski with a hardcore athlete who does 4hr intense workouts-unless the beginner wants to learn) and the user can pick who they would like to ski with.
Health benefit: increase fitness (tied to weight loss/control, improved cardiovascular health, improve muscle tone and posture, etc) and athletic skill resulting from increased participation in XC skiing by making it easier to locate ski areas and find people to ski with.
rationale: there are thousands of workout and fitness apps out there but the XC arena seems under-served, especially in the NE area.
app/website to find current cycling events in the users area. the app would show upcoming charity rides, races or training rides. the user can refine choices to their preferences (road, mountain biking, time trials, etc) and receive alerts as events approach. provide links to the events or hosting organizations. keep history of events completed and allow user ratings/input. There are many GPS related cycling apps with real time tracking and statistics and many workout planning/tracking apps, so again, trying to outdo established well developed apps does not make much sense. there are some trail/route finding offerings but I did not see one that alerts users about upcoming events or races. there are many people who race as amateurs and many more who participate in charity rides where riders of all ability can particpate. getting alerts to such events without having to search for them would save time.
Social component allow friends to recommend rides or races and connect with people for upcoming events to carpool or ride together. users could also organize their own group rides if they want. (note: organizing races or charity rides is a difficult process that involves a number of complex logistics, such as obtaining permits from communities, collecting fees/donations, obtaining sponsorship or getting the event sanctioned by governing bodies or charities, finding suitable parking and other facilities, medical support etc.)
Health benefit: increase fitness (tied to weight loss/control, improved cardiovascular health, improve muscle tone and posture, etc) and athletic skill resulting from increased participation in cycling.