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So here is the first of the app ideas from that grab-bag-o-stupidity discussed in the previous entry. The title is your clue: write a Morse Code decoder!

There are a bazillion Morse-style apps in the app store, but I was only able to find one of them that decoded Morse Code (from the microphone, that is) into text. It's a fairly simple-looking app and it sells for $9.99. The ratings are either very high and very low - there are few ratings in the middle. There appear to have been only two releases, with the last one in March 2012 - in other words, you won't be fighting a massively entrenched player!

This is exactly the type of idea that is worth pursuing. If the user interface can be made to appear friendlier you'd certainly be able to steal some sales. And coming in at less than $9.99 would almost certainly get you some sales - you could go freemium by including ads and selling an upgrade to remove them.

Pros:

• Morse Code is well established and easy, so learning curve is not hard
• The iOS devices include sophisticated audio capabilities that will make identifying tones and pulses easier than having to do all that by hand
• Good portfolio app: it solves a real-world problem that even non-geeks can intuitively understand

Cons:

• Well motivated enemy: the established app writer is a Morse Code fanatic and no slouch with audio
• Difficult to stand-out: the App Store is overflowing with Morse Code apps
• Limited general applicability: more of a "neat-to-have" than a "must-have" or everyday utility