v1.3 Submitted to Apple

I just submitted v1.3 to Apple this morning.

The big change was that I added the ability to change font sizes. You could actually do this already (if you knew the secret way to...), but it would mess up the text. This was because the text was highly doctored to get it to display right on v2.x phones. Now that 3.0 fixes all the Hebrew quirks, I've made all of the text "normal" so that it will flow correctly.

As these changes relies on OS 3.0, it shouldn't run on phones/iPods that haven't upgraded to 3.0 yet. I'm not sure how Apple handles that (i.e., if it won't show up in the AppStore, or if you get a warning, or if it just fails).

I also changed the way it saves your place. Previously, the app would save your place whenever you were in the middle of reading something. I kept reading the daily portion to the end, and then exiting the app immediately. Then, the next day, I would open the app, and it would still be on the previous day's portion... annoying. Now, the app won't save your place if you've read all the way to the end.

I've gotten a lot of really good feedback on the app, which I appreciate. If you have any more features you'd really like to see, please email them to me, and I'll see if I can fit them in.

The v1.2 Saga

So... for those of you who are wondering why it took me so long to get v1.2 done, and why it still isn't out yet, here's the background story:

I finished the changes in the code I wanted to make a long time ago. The problem is, a while back Apple stated that all new updates had to compile and run on iPhone OS 3.0.

My computer is a PowerPC Mac. I got it as a broken hand-me-down from the research lab I worked in. I got it running again (sort of), and it's served me well until now. Unfortunately, iPhone OS 3.0 apps won't compile on a PowerPC – Apple changed the SDK to include libraries that won't compile properly on PowerPC machines.

So, I was sort of stuck. I got v1.2 submitted eventually by coming back into the lab I work in after hours and compiling and debugging it there.

But, there were still some bugs in the app, so Apple rejected it. I've had to find times when I can go back into the lab after work (or stay late) to be able to get it done (not good for shalom bayis). As it stands right now, Apple still isn't happy with how it's running.

So that brings us up to now. I just got a new (broken) Intel iMac off of eBay for $250! I've been trying to tweak it the last couple days, and it's actually running pretty well, crashing only occasionally. I think it might work well enough to use, until I can get enough money to actually fix it or buy a working computer.

So, G-d-willing, I'll have v1.2 fixed soon and get it submitted again. I have it running on my phone now, and I love it. It's much faster, and it hasn't crashed once on me yet.

v1.2 Submitted

Just submitted v1.2. It took me a long time to find time to do it, but I'm very happy with the result. This version is much more stable and faster than the previous versions.

The next version is probably going to be "native" iPhoneOS 3.0, which means I'll be able to add a bunch more features. It also means you'll need to upgrade to 3.0 (assuming that it's released).

Bugs Galore

Oi! Just read the comment on iTunes and apparently the last 4 books are all messed up. I never noticed because I've been mostly just staying in the daily portion. v1.1 is also crashing more than it should (i.e., never).

I have to help with a bris today, but maybe tonight I'll be able to fix these things and push the update out. We finish Likutei Amorim just before Shavuos, so IY"H the update will be out before then.

Next update taking a little while

Sorry for those who are waiting for the next update. I got half-way through it, and now I'm getting a little overloaded with personal stuff.

The highlights of the next update are adjustable font sizes, smaller memory footprint (should help prevent crashing), and a huge speedup in loading times.

I've got a small list of features that I want to add, but if there are any that people are waiting for, let me know and I'll move them up on my priority list.

Updates: Discussion Forum and Optimizations

Well, I made some good progress over Chol HaMoed and last Friday. I prototyped the discussion forum feature, and it's working great. I think it will be very cool.

I noticed someone commented on iTunes that the program crashes a lot. I haven't experienced any crashes personally, but I would bet that any crashes are due to memory issues. The iPhone seems to be pretty tight on memory, and my app sucks up a lot of it. I wrote in some optimizations that will reduce the memory footprint a little bit on Friday.

My plan right now is to try to get v1.2 done tomorrow, or next weekend. That will have some speed optimizations and some extra small features. I think I'll wait until 2.0 to include the discussion forum. That will give me time to implement it well, and work out all the bugs. I plan on releasing that with iPhone OS 3.0.

v1.1 Ready for Sale

Just before Pesach...