Reply to: iPhone apps?

[Sysman]

The thing that concerns me is that the problem is so obvious when I carry out those tests, yet the app was approved anyway. Apple rejects apps for failing on that all the time, to the degree that I'm currently spending a lot of time thinking through all the appropriate ways of responding to network failure whilst ensuring an adequate user experience.

I freely admit to being an admirer of both the BBC and Apple, but the fact remains that an app that fails to the extent of deleting the content it already has before sussing out that it can't obtain any new content is arse over tit to a degree that should have seen it rejected by Apple until it complied with their usually stringent requirements.

I'll check it again, and again after that, but if it turns out that I'm right about this app being fundamentally unsound (as opposed to there being a minor bug that only occurs under certain unlikely circumstances) then I shall bitch and whine as only I can

I wonder if this has anything to do with the problem.

This week's Private Eye reveals that Aunty had a team of about 30 working on its own iPhone applications and has spent close to £100,000. But it was scrapped due to cost concerns and trying to save on budget. Just a couple of days after delivery vans left the printing press to distribute the mag across the country the BBC has announced that it has green lighted its own apps at the cost of the licence payer, i.e. the public, i.e. you.

[TimberWolf]

There are some great suggestions here, which I'm still working through. I'm mostly interested in the free apps so far. "AroundMe" is good. I've also installed Skype, which I hadn't taken much interest in before now. Has anyone used Skype on the iPod Touch? Any luck using it at WiFi hotspots? I'm thinking about buying this microphone, which is a lot cheaper then the Apple microphone.

[wellred]

I suppose one positive is that it's the BBC here so I can't imagine they will take too long to come up with an update. It seems no developer is too big or polished to release a buggy app these days! I don't mind, so long as they fix it soon enough otherwise I just loose interest and move on. Good thing is there are usually lot's of alternatives.

On a different note anyone tried the game Bowmaster? It's a great little archery game that you have to use both hands for. Very nice overall experience. Could do with a few more levels as I have completed it now but it's just as fun to go and repeat some levels.

[NickFitz]

Yeah it's just come out so there are bound to be some bugs. I will download in shortly but I love my Guardian app too much to switch.

The thing that concerns me is that the problem is so obvious when I carry out those tests, yet the app was approved anyway. Apple rejects apps for failing on that all the time, to the degree that I'm currently spending a lot of time thinking through all the appropriate ways of responding to network failure whilst ensuring an adequate user experience.

I freely admit to being an admirer of both the BBC and Apple, but the fact remains that an app that fails to the extent of deleting the content it already has before sussing out that it can't obtain any new content is arse over tit to a degree that should have seen it rejected by Apple until it complied with their usually stringent requirements.

I'll check it again, and again after that, but if it turns out that I'm right about this app being fundamentally unsound (as opposed to there being a minor bug that only occurs under certain unlikely circumstances) then I shall bitch and whine as only I can

[wellred]

Yeah it's just come out so there are bound to be some bugs. I will download in shortly but I love my Guardian app too much to switch.

[NickFitz]

Anyone tried the new BBC News app? It looks pretty polished but one thing im eager to know is if the news (text based area) can be downloaded for offline viewing. eg The Guardian News app does this so it's perfect for reading on the tube.

Quite the opposite

I just gave it a try by opening it up and letting it re-populate its front page with the latest stories. I then switched over to Settings where I disabled wifi and put the phone into Airplane mode, thereby ensuring it had no connectivity whatsoever. When I switched back to the Beeb app, it cleared its front page before attempting to make a connection to update itself, thereby leaving itself with a blank page. It also failed to provide any notification that it couldn't connect, which is a breach of Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and should really have seen it rejected from the App Store.

When I re-enabled 3G and wifi and switched back to it, it just sat there with the blank page: it had apparently given up all hope of establishing a connection, or was failing to check for one correctly (admittedly a lot of people get caught out by one aspect of the way that works). I had to go into the task bar and kill it; once it had been purged from memory and restarted from scratch, it was able to refresh itself.

I think I'll be sending a bug report to the BBC.

[wellred]

Anyone tried the new BBC News app? It looks pretty polished but one thing im eager to know is if the news (text based area) can be downloaded for offline viewing. eg The Guardian News app does this so it's perfect for reading on the tube.

[lightng]

iQuarter

Try iQuarter. Flick quarters into various receptacles. Better than it sounds and free.

[lightng]

Kick Flick Football 2010

My brother's second Iphone game. Come on 'ngland! Take your football frustrations out on this.

Kevin Ng Games

Only 59p. Buy before 26th June and profits go to "Street Child Africa".

[Muttley08]

I suggest someone creates one called 'Licking the Chutney Spoon' by Bob Shawadiwadi

Not sure the Apple app police would approve it!

[MarillionFan]

I suggest someone creates one called 'Licking the Chutney Spoon' by Bob Shawadiwadi

[The Wikir Man]

You seen the lonely planet free apps atm??

There's an AtM app??? I'd get an iPhone just for that!!

[Muttley08]

You seen the lonely planet free apps atm??

[cojak]

Anyone recommend a hotel booking app?

I've just downloaded Hotel Booker, but the reviews don't fill me with confidence (I get the feeling that the comments are company supplied...)

[mbb]

Skype, a sudoko app (or two), itunes remote (combined with airtunes it rocks), OmniFocus, Paper Toss. Good thread here for apps - http://www.inniaccounts.co.uk/blog/i...ors-freelancer