I threw together a simple Android App with the help of Claude Code again ….
From time to time I evaluate AIs towards their ability to craft meaningful, usable software, standalone or assisting. As the months go by the results become more and more intriguing. So it looks like I finally have to apologize and correct my previous judgement. Years ago my experiments were interesting, but typically resulted in ideas and approaches but never in usable software or even code that actually compiled or worked. This definitely has changed.
Today it is easily possible to hand over the full process of creating a full fledged software package to an AI (a capable one), only guiding the AI instead of the other way round. It still is an iterative process. But typically not due to mistakes the AI makes or leaves behind, but because of us humans not really knowing precisely what it actually is we want to build or have. Which is not surprising, is it?
So this time the result is a simple Android app: Pickelhaube
The app is a helper application that complements the existing features of a Fritz!Box router device. Those devices are extremely common in Europe, at least in Germany. They support different connection types: DSL, Fibre, G5, … Besides acting as a classical router these boxes offer a complete control center for the local network, the internet connection, potentially also the phone lines and smart home setup.
Using the official and documented APIs the Pickelhaube App basically allows to use your personal smartphone as a dialer remote for a Fritz!Box in the local network. The typical setup that involves a Fritz!Box dies not require this! However there are situations where there is need for this: I always include headless speakers and headphones for phone calls into my phone setup. That makes calls soooo much more comfortable: far superior sound quality, ergonomic usage, since you have your hands free for other things and prevent the classical cramped shoulder from trying to clamp a phone receiver between shoulder and ear over for long talk. The issue with that setup: to reach someone you have to either dial using classical phone in the network and to hand over the call to the earpiece/headphone once the call is established (which typically involves apologizing to the call partner and a loud „beep“). Or you have to login to the Fritz!Box web interface to trigger dialing before you can pick up the earpiece/headphone. This is not exactly convenient.
This is where Pickelhaube comes into play:
From the comfort of your personal smartphone you can select and dial any number from any of your contacts (on the smartphone or inside the Fritz!Box phone books), use entries in a „last call“ list (on the phone or the Fritz!Box), chose speed dial shortcuts or even control call forwarding. You select the number, dial and pick up the earpiece/headphone. Convenient …
The app supports multiple Fritz!Boxes (if you switch between known local networks), can use a separate user account on the router. It supports https encryption, rights management, defining new speed dial shortcuts. It even comes with three control tiles for the Android top down menu.
The app is NOT published on Google Play or any alternative play store. You can grab it from github, if you are a geek. Or ask me.
Pickelhaube is an independent project and is not affiliated with FRITZ! GmbH (formerly AVM). FRITZ! and FRITZ!Box are trademarks of FRITZ! GmbH; they are used here only to say which routers the app works with.
