Ask Slashdot: Making a Tablet Run Only One Application? 260
An anonymous reader asks "I'm working for a medical centre who want to make a tablet with various videos and webpages about smoking cessation available in their waiting room. The tablet can't access the Internet because of security policies. I'm planning to use a local server with copies of the (Creative Commons) videos and pages accessed through local webpages using the tablet's browser. How can I make only the browser be available to the tablet users? Ideas? Suggestions?"
If you must use Android (Score:5, Informative)
Just roll your own AOSP build that only has /system/app/Browser.apk along with essential system UI apks and include none of the networking drivers that the device needs.
Use something with better coverage (Score:5, Informative)
mediakiosk (Score:3, Informative)
If you are using iPad, there is an app called MediaKiosk. This is used with metal kiosk housings that prevent the 'home' button from being pushed and will allow the charge cable to always be connected. Not really helpful for portable.
Re:easy. (Score:4, Informative)
Since they could run other apps on the tablet even if you trap all HTTP requests, first step is to root the tablet and uninstall everything else, then make the browser autostart. Password protect anything you don't uninstall.
-nb
Operating System? (Score:5, Informative)
Disgusting! I wouldn't Touch That Thing (Score:2, Informative)
This seems like a terrible idea! People in a hospital are going to be smearing their fingers all over this device, and passing it around. It seems to be a very convenient disease vector. I would not touch it with a 20 foot pole.
how about searching for android/ipad kiosk mode (Score:5, Informative)
Android Tutorial: http://www.basic4ppc.com/forum/basic4android-getting-started-tutorials/10839-android-kiosk-mode-tutorial.html [basic4ppc.com]
iPad: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kiosk-pro/id409918026?mt=8 [apple.com]
Re:Curious... (Score:2, Informative)
I do not have a solution to your problem. I am curious about the situation though. Is there a reason your organization wants this to be easy-to-steal-and-expensive tablets? Especially when there's the security policy. And you'll have to keep them charged too. Why not just a cheap laptop. Or a pamphlet and TV? I realize it's difficult to get people to stop smoking, but fancy technology isn't always the solution.
I am curious about this too. I also work in IT and with several hospitals as customers. The IT staff in the hospitals I work with, small, medium, and large, all talk about things walking away from rooms, lobbies, etc. Surely there is a better solution, possibly more cost effective too... Besides, you will need to be able to recharge it anyway, so why not look for something that can be put on a table with a long core for recharge? If you can do that, then you could possibly look at touch screen media displays that access a media server hosting your videos. Viewer users use would then just be a touch screen display for the content (probably a lot cheaper, depending on media server and cabling install cost). This also keeps it off of the wifi... which from what I see in hospitals around here, the customer access devices on internal WiFi, the better...
Re:easy. (Score:5, Informative)
Parental restrictions in iOS do this already (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Curious... (Score:5, Informative)
generally speaking, the ones burning the money are not the ones complaining about the pay
Did you even Google? (Score:5, Informative)
iPad in Kiosk mode:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mediakiosk/id352741530?mt=8 [apple.com]
Android in Kiosk mode:
http://www.42gears.com/blog/2011/10/kiosk-mode-on-android/ [42gears.com]
Re:If you must use Android (Score:4, Informative)
Just roll your own AOSP build that only has /system/app/Browser.apk along with essential system UI apks and include none of the networking drivers that the device needs.
Seconded, why are "the answers" at 0?
-AI
Wrong application for a tablet-use something cheap (Score:4, Informative)
My kids have these Coby knockoffs [amazon.com] that they love and have no trouble using. They play video (in way more formats than most tablets) and PDF and picturse, and that's about it, no pesky browser or wireless networking to bother with. Best of all it isn't a 500 dollar item people will want to walk off with, and even if they do walk off with it, you are out 80 bucks instead of 500.
Of course if what you are trying to do is show that you can throw thousands of dollars into the waiting room, that won't really accomplish what you are trying to do.
Re:Curious... (Score:4, Informative)
The hospital management is being treated well by the tablet manufacturer....
Hmm. Since that narrows the universe of possibilities down to a single vendor, you should probably tell us what OS the vendor uses on the tablet, otherwise people will waste their time giving you advice you can't use.
If you don't want to identify the vendor, and you can't tell us the OS without doing that, just say so. We'll pretend we don't know who you're talking about (although we will).
Re:easy. (Score:5, Informative)