Post-SDK thoughts

Today's iPhone SDK (or is that "touch SDK"?) announcement was very exciting - it looks like we'll be able to develop awesome apps in a neat environment. Here's my early idea for OneTrip as a native touch app.

I will do all in my power to deliver the app as soon as Apple is ready (late June, it seems). You can expect the app to change quite a bit, taking advantage of the great UI functions now possible outside the web platform.

The web version will be around, as always, and it won't stay stagnant either.

Cool times ahead - I'm looking forward to it quite a bit!

Quip is back as well

In the recent serve move, Quip's database of quotes got lost. I've just restored it so you should be able to get your daily dose of wit at http://onetrip.org/quip.

A New Hope

OneTrip.org is now hosted on a server of my own. Apologies about the spotty uptime these past few days - I only play a server admin on TV.

Hopefully this move should give us better reliability and allow me to ponder new ways to improve OneTrip. Since I'm now responsible for the server, I've added a small ad on the bottom of the OneTrip app. This should help offset the cost of hosting and maintaining the application.

The SDK is almost here (we all hope) so I should have some exciting news for you soon. Thanks everyone!

Server down... again

OneTrip and my other non-client apps are hosted by a very gracious host who offered help in a time of need, when my server was getting hammered as iPhone frenzy grew frenzier. I am very grateful to them for their service, but I think it's time I moved the apps to my own server.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not bitter or anything. I'd just prefer it if it was my fat fingers that were crashing the server if it ever did crash. I've started moving the apps to a new server today, following another period of unavailability. Expect some blackout time as DNS's catch up etc.

Sorry, everyone. For a short while, It's back to pen and paper when you go to the store.

Server issues (now resolved)

The server issue we had a few days ago has been fixed; again, sorry about the downtime. Your shopping lists should be safe (since they get stored on your iPhone/iPod touch).

Server down, will be back up shortly

The server which hosts OneTrip and my other iPhone web apps failed today. I'm moving all the apps to a server of my own as I type this. Sorry about this - it'll be sorted out as quickly as possible.

Wii web apps

Like many American households, we've been trying to score a Nintendo Wii for a while. Finally the craigslist fairy brought us one the other day, and like every self-respecting geek, I spent most of that day checking out everything in the software other than the games. The Opera browser (Internet Channel, available for 5000 points/$5 in the WiiWare store) immediately grabbed my attention. It takes only a few minutes of use to see that it faces a lot of the same problems as iPhone: a fairly small screen, limited function set, and a need for creative zooming. It solves most of these quite well - I wouldn't sit on my sofa and peruse Wikipedia for too long, but for updates in Google Reader, it's great.

Another thing that's great on it - iPhone web apps. Most of the ones I've checked out work great. Have a look at mine - pull up http://onetrip.org/apps on your Wii. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

A new app, a reworked website

I've received some (deserved) complaints about my web apps website being confusing; it wasn't entirely clear what was what and how to get more info. I've rejiggled things around and hopefully the new navigation and hierarchy will make more sense. Apologies for any unneeded clicks before.

Also, oh hai - I maked you a lolcat web app:

http://icanlol.com/iphone

Made for the kind people at icanhascheezburger.com. The lolcat market is booming.

State of the app

Thanks again to everyone for sending in their comments and suggestions. I have in mind several features that would make OneTrip even better. At this point, however, I'm waiting to see whether the new SDK (software development kit) for iPhone that Apple is coming out with in February changes things in a way that would make it smarter to just rewrite the application.

I have no doubt that I could do some really cool thing using the SDK. What we're all unsure of at this point, though, is what the policy will be for getting these apps certified by Apple. My intuition says it will be a somewhat exclusive process, but we'll see.

Either way, I'll wait until the SDK is out. Thanks everyone, and keep making just one trip to the store!

New apps

First of all, thank you to everyone who's been sending in comments and suggestions. I have a really good feature list for OneTrip 2.0 - the problem now is finding some time to do it. I've been busy with other projects and in the last few months, I've had to plan a move to a new house, a big holiday trip, and my wedding in April 2008.

I have more for you today than excuses, though: for those of you who happen to be guitar players, I've been commissioned to make some music apps for iPhone. Here they are:

Guitar tuner
Chord library

I'm working on more web apps for iPhone, and I'm ready to dig into the SDK come January. Exciting times ahead!