iPhone/iTouch, SDK & Geocahing?

[+Bob&TheGang]

So now now that Apple has released a beta version of it's SDK, will there be some 3-party software developer who will be creating an app. so cache page information can be uploaded to a iPhone/iPod Touch (without relying on wifi or cell phone connection)?

[+btgeocacher]

So now now that Apple has released a beta version of it's SDK, will there be some 3-party software developer who will be creating an app. so cache page information can be uploaded to a iPhone/iPod Touch (without relying on wifi or cell phone connection)?

 

I will be. I've just done a webapp and when they open the doors for a few more developers in the program, I'll be porting it to native.

 

-dB

www.ayefon.com

 

P.S. If you've got an iPhone/iTouch, point it to:

 

http://www.ayefon.mobi/geo/igeocacher.cfm?id=demo@email.com

 

And let me know what you think.

[+Bob&TheGang]

OK, I checked out the demo site on my iPod Touch.

 

Pretty cool. I definately liked the map link.

 

Will there be cache page information in your app (e.g., cache description, hint, and logs)?

 

Without jailbreaking, I would like my iPod Touch to work a like a PDA when it comes to downloading Caches pages.

[+btgeocacher]

OK, I checked out the demo site on my iPod Touch.

 

Pretty cool. I definately liked the map link.

 

Will there be cache page information in your app (e.g., cache description, hint, and logs)?

 

Without jailbreaking, I would like my iPod Touch to work a like a PDA when it comes to downloading Caches pages.

 

Yes. After just coming back from the first "field trials" I too wanted the details. There isn't much in .LOC files but pocket queries are loaded. I'm trying to find a good balance between the volume of information and bandwidth over the air. The next thing I'm going to add (in the next few hours) is the inclusion of drill down for the short and long description info. Let me know what other things that are contained in the GPX files you'd find most interesting.

 

That map thing was AWESOME. I used to print out maps for getting me quickly to the site. Now in just a couple of taps on the iPhone, I've got custom driving directions and mapping from wherever I happen to be. It's going to make "spontaneous caching" much easier because if I decide to go on a whim, I don't have nearly as much "pre hunt" planning to do (printing off Google maps etc.)

 

Today was the first real "field trial" and it passed with flying colors.

 

-dB

www.ayefon.com - perhaps creators of the first iPhone geocaching app ;-)

[+btgeocacher]

OK, I checked out the demo site on my iPod Touch.

 

Pretty cool. I definately liked the map link.

 

Will there be cache page information in your app (e.g., cache description, hint, and logs)?

 

Without jailbreaking, I would like my iPod Touch to work a like a PDA when it comes to downloading Caches pages.

 

Well, you'll only have to wait for the 2.0 release of the iPod software for the new SDK'd apps to work within the Apple fold (thus no jailbreaking required.)

 

The iPod Touch is a bit less handy than the iPhone because you have to find a wireless "hotspot" to connect to the net (you don't have the option of EDGE network connectivity.) However, with wifi hotspots proliferating, that really might not be that big a deal. I notice when I'm driving around that if I don't turn off the "connect" prompts there are all kinds of open wifi spots that would offer a "quick sip" of the web while out caching.

 

I've toyed with the idea of expanding one of my other products (the X10 light control) which is just a wireless web server into an appliance that you could just take with you in the car. One of my "to do" projects uses that mini-atx platform (which can run off a cigarette lighter) and will connect to the car's OBD-II port so that I can get readouts of engine parameters, display real time mileange, data log for performance tuning, etc. That same platform could just as easily contain a boatload of downloaded cache information so that you could effectively load it up for a day of caching or take it to a group cache event and effectively have the web with you, even if you were out of range of EDGE connectivity. I'll have to think about that. I already have the mobile wireless web server platform. Not sure that most folks would see that as attractive but it could have niche applications.

 

-dB

www.ayefon.com - iPhone Geocacher

[+btgeocacher]

So now now that Apple has released a beta version of it's SDK, will there be some 3-party software developer who will be creating an app. so cache page information can be uploaded to a iPhone/iPod Touch (without relying on wifi or cell phone connection)?

 

I just got notification of my acceptance into the beta developer program and iGeoCacher (the webapp) just got published in the Apple webapp catalog this morning. So as soon as I can generate enough revenue from the webapp to get started (and gauge the actual interest) the native app will be well on the way. For the most part it will just amount to storing the info on the local SQL Lite built into the phone (as of the 2.0 software) rather than in MySQL on the web server. That way you won't need connectivity to get the cache info. Google maps will still require it, however.