Smartphones and tablets are really the next generation of computer. While it took them less time to find their niche than the microcomputers and PCs of the early 1980s, a step in that evolution is missing. That’s the ability to program your mobile device.

I’m not addressing the issue of customization. The mobile operating system developers have tossed the consumers a few bones on the level of customization.

You can change the device’s background. Yawn.

If the device is really nice, then you can change the lock screen background as well. Goody!

And you can wiggle around icons, play with widgets, and set custom sounds. But none of that approaches the level of customization I desire.

I want to program my device. I want to get inside and open up some routines and add my own customization. I’m sure others would as well, but the developers don’t offer any tools that do so outside of the standard SDK.

Look: I want to do tricks, not write apps. Something along the lines of a shell scripting language would be ideal, especially something that could tap into the power of Linux that lurks below every Android device’s surface.

For example, I would like to program my phone so that it doesn’t ring or make a sound other than the alarm clock from between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. I know that there are apps to do such things, but I want more. I want to say something like this pseudo code:

while ( current_time > 23:00 AND current_time < 7:00 )
{
    set volume = 0;
    exception ( incomming_call(GROUP_FAMILY) );
    exception ( incomming_call(GROUP_EMERGENCY) );
}

Sure, that type of thing could be coded in an app, but programming code is really the best way to truly customize any computer-like device. It should be part of the OS, and not hidden.

Some Android phones offer the ability to block certain users. How about assigning users scripts instead. So if Darryl phones me, I could have the following script run:

use GLOBAL NUM_DARRYL_CALLS;
NUM_DARRYL_CALLS++;
if ( NUM_DARRYL_CALLS < 3 )
{
    ignore;
}
else
{
    send_text_message(USER_DARRYL.MOBILE,"I'll phone you back in a minute");
    set_reminder("Phone Darryl");
    NUM_DARRYL_CALLS = 0;
}

I think you get my idea. Not only would the scripting language be fun, it could have many useful purposes. Hackers -- the enthusiast kind -- would go nuts.

Now I haven't really checked to see whether anything smilar to my idea already exists. I know that Motorola offers Smart Actions for some of their devices.

That isn't good enough!

I'm lusting for a scripting language. If you know of one, let me know. I think it would be a blast.