Need help naming my Android app

Glaucus

Active Member
Member
Joined
Apr 12, 2005
Messages
4,767
Reaction score
697
Hey everyone,

Ok, so maybe I've mentioned in the past that I've been working on an Android app that I plan to release to the market. It's gonna be a free app (and that includes no annoying ads either) as most other similar apps are also free and I see no point in trying to make money directly from this. Instead I see it as something worth putting on a resume and that's about it. But, the biggest dilemma I typically face while coding is coming up with a real good name for a class or even variable. And no surprise, I'm having the same stupid problem with coming up with a name for my app! Now we know why I'm not in marketing! :D

So, I thought I'd come here for some advice. So let me explain what my app does. It's quite simple, it allows you to remotely control WinAMP from your phone. Note, this means it does not actually play the music on the Android device, but controls Winamp on networked PC. Yes, there already are apps out there that do this, I don't care about that. And like all apps like that, they need some form of back-end server that runs as a plugin to WinAMP to provide the connectivity. That's where my app is a bit different, it uses a pre-existing plugin already available on WinAMP's site which was originally designed to be used from a web browser. The plugin is called AjaxAMP. No, Ajax does not refer to the ancient Greek warrior, but to the AJAX programming model of using JavaScript, XML & JSON. Point your browser to your machine with WinAMP/AjaxAMP and you can control it remotely using a slick web interface. Works great on a desktop, not so much on a mobile device. Here's where my app comes in. I reverse engineered the protocol used by AjaxAMP (FireBug, you're my hero) and have written my app to make full use of AjaxAMP's interface. There are unfortunately some problems with this approach: I don't have full control of the server side. Not a big deal, but this means I lack access to album art as AjaxAMP doesn't provide that. There are also some bugs with the server that I hope get fixed (I emailed the author but he's never responded so who knows).

But anyway, I'm here looking for a good name. The name I've used so far is AnJax, which is just Android and Ajax mushed up, but that makes for a lousy name. Here are some ideas I've had that I'm bouncing off people, just wondering what you guys think. Of course, please suggest any alternatives.

1. AirAMP - Because, you control it over the air?

2. SkyAMP - Kinda like #1 (and yes, it does work over 3G networks)

3. ZephyrAMP - This one kinda links the ancient Greek portion of "Ajax" with item #1 above as Zephyr was the god of the Westerly winds (a favorable wind).

4. AetherAMP - Again, like #1 above, but more nerdy sounding although it probably gets the point across nicely (at least to the nerds).

5. AuroraAMP - Yes, I'm hooked on spatial names, and this is hugely over done, but still worth considering.

6. Winamp Sidekick - Ok, it actually kinda describes what it is, but not very imaginative is it?

7. TeensyAMP - My girl friend likes this. She seems to envision the remote player as something "cute" and "small".

8. IttyBittyAMP - You can guess who came up with this one. No, it was me.

9. BabyAMP - I'm not calling it that!

10. MobileAMP - Accurate enough, but reminds me of motor oil for some reason. Actually, maybe not as my app does NOT play music on the Android device. It simply acts as a remote control, so this is probably a bad name.

...There was one more but I forget.

Anyway, I'm kinda partial to AirAMP. What is everyone else thinking? And no, it doesn't need to have Winamp or Amp in the name, but that might help people find it when searching. If screen shots might help, I can do that but you'll need to wait until this evening as I'm at work right now.
 
How about RemoteAMP or AMP Remote?

Just a thought, since it is for remote controlling.
 
Since it's a cut down remote interface, how about AMPutee? :D
 
Thanks Red. Yes, that's a good suggestion. So good it's actually been kinda taken. Here are some apps I'll be competing with:
aWARemote for Winamp® (and there's a "PRO" version of this)
RemoteControl for Winamp
Playa Control for Winamp

"Remote" and "Control" seem to have been taken.

How about PhantomAMP?
 
PocketAMP has a nice ring to it.

Oh, I forgot to mention my very first attempt at a name. I wikipediad (new word) "Ajax", the ancient Greek dude and noticed he was often referred to as Ajax from Telamonia (or something like that). So I though, TelamonianAMP was an awesome name. Everyone so far has shot that down for some reason.
 
Thanks Red. Yes, that's a good suggestion. So good it's actually been kinda taken. Here are some apps I'll be competing with:
aWARemote for Winamp® (and there's a "PRO" version of this)
RemoteControl for Winamp
Playa Control for Winamp

"Remote" and "Control" seem to have been taken.

Doh! Sorry for being Captain Obvious :eek:
 
PocketAMP has a nice ring to it.

It does, but maybe I'm old school... Pocket in front of something, I'd expect it to be for Windows Mobile (PocketPC).

Since it's a cut down remote interface, how about AMPutee? :D
Hmm... I'm gonna have to run that through some sensitivity testing.

Ya might be able to get away with AMPutate, but yeah, I think my sense of humor shows there's pretty good reason behind why I've failed sensitivity training. :D

AMPhitheater Control might make sense, though it's rather long.

Or screw it.... Just name it AMPhetamine, cuz it's dope. (I'll get me coat, now.)
 
Instead of AirAMP, how about AmpAir?

WinAMP Faceplate
WinAMP Mobile Faceplate

WinAMP Commander (could throw a Mobile or a Pocket in the middle of that)
 
A thesaurus is so handy at times like this. Master came up with: Maestro, Virtuoso and Wizard. Control came up with Commander, Director and Manager. Sidekick, one of my favs, lists Amigo. AmigoAMP was actually the one I forgot to list in my first post. Or maybe WinAMP Amigo? Wait, how about: AmigaAMP! hmmm... I think I'll avoid that one like the Bermuda Triangle.
 
SkAMP?

--edit--

AMPr

AMPiside

... I'll think of more I'm sure.
 
HandyAMP. Not bad. We're gonna have to trim down the list at some point, but there isn't a big rush just yet, so keep the ideas pouring in. I was thinking of instead of AjaxAMP: JazzyAMP. Sounds cool, but does it mean anything? Does it need to mean anything? The "AMP" part will do it's part in attracting people who search for "WinAMP" in the market, the rest is gravy I would think. Anyway, I decided to snap a few screen shots off my Nexus S. let's see if this works....

console1.png
playlist1.png


library1.png
search1.png


console3.png


Which reminds me, I'll be looking for beta testers real soon. If you're interested, let me know. I'll have to figure out a way for non-developers to install it (can you just copy the .apk onto your SD card and launch it that way? I'll have to try it). And you don't really need an Android device to run it, you can download a free program called BlueStacks that runs Android apps on Windows. It works ok, but it stretches everything real wide and it looks kinda weird. No, my app is not tablet ready I'm afraid. That will be version 2 (when I get my tablet).
 
I'll have to figure out a way for non-developers to install it (can you just copy the .apk onto your SD card and launch it that way? I'll have to try it)

Yeah, that should work. Just remember to have them check the "Allow installation of non-Market applications" checkbox under Settings > Applications.

I don't typically use WinAMP too much, anymore, but if you need a specific test, I have quite a few phones available for me to test through work. I even have a Droid 3 I've flashed to CyanogenMod 9 (Ice Cream Sandwich).
 
Back
Top