With a student population of 55,000, accessing a computer at York can be challenging. LabTally is an Android app that aids students in the quest for an available computer.
LabTally provides real-time information on available computers on campus.
Owen O’Brien, developer of LabTally, says he got the inspiration for the app after attending the National College of Ireland Galway and having a hard time finding a computer on campus.
“The computers were extremely busy as they had a lot of specialized software that students probably didn’t have on their personal laptops,” says O’Brien. “It seemed like a no brainer to help fellow students find a free computer with as little waiting time as possible.”
LabTally lists the total number of computers in every room, as well as how many are free and how many are in use. The rooms are organized alphabetically by location.
The tracking information for LabTally is provided by Labstats, a company that creates computer usage tracking systems. The LabTally system publishes a web service that LabTally calls upon to produce usage reports.
LabTally is an internationally used system, providing information to
more than 50 schools, colleges, and universities around the world, serving over 1 million students.
LabTally is currently available in the Google Play store, free of charge. O’Brien plans to create a version of the app for iPhones in the coming weeks.
Nathan De Rushe
Contributor
