iPhone App - Looking for feedback

[Jason]

looks like the beginnings of something beautiful!

1. looks mostly covered (personal tasting notes tied to each!)

2. yes

3. there can be a third element for NCs yea? I'm not sure how to handle that. Some bunch of terms to consider, marca, size, vitola, line; lines between some of those get fuzzy with NCs

4. I know nothing about iPhone-specific design but I like your approach, esp if web-based, that is, text! The markup could be made cleaner/compliant here and there but I do like your light approach. You'd do better to implement scalable font-sizes (and structural elements for that matter) by using EMs instead of PXs (unless you're going iPhone only app and know what you're doing there, I don't!)

5. it looks pretty good in IE on Windows Mobile 6, doesn't display the "webkit" specific stuff of course (corner radius etc, does this work in Google's Chrome I wonder since it's based on webkit)

6. define "more common"

7. personal inventory and tasting notes. If tasting notes could be broke down into multiple date based entries, even better. While entering a new tasting note/review of a cigar it would be very cool if you were prompted with the option to remove one from inventory when submitting (since it's likely you just smoked one)

I think as a web app specifically for mobiles (that would work on any browser of course) this would be fantastic!

It would be good to be able to keep a master database of cigar data that gets updated by an authoritative source and could be output as XML/SQL/whatever to update/augment individual user account's backends. This would be especially nice if it's going to be a mobile only app since adding all that information by hand, on a mobile device, sucks at best; therefor 99% of folks wouldn't bother I'd think.

PM me if I can help with anything, I can hack around php and MySQL but am very good with hand coding xhtml/css and graphic-ing up the frontend

[Silound]

The ability to add some words to each cigar...even a few hundred just so you can make your own notes, opinions, buy/no buy, gifted when/where/liked/didn't like information would be invaluable. As it stands now, there's lots of valuable technical data, but very little personal data such as what I think of the cigar if I'm reviewing it. That could be extremely helpful when I'm browsing a shop or online site and wondering if I've ever tried something before.


Also, the ability to add a small picture or two (different angles, the band, etc) would be very nice. Helps identification. All that and the personal notes can be stored on the iPhone's internal memory in a data structure. The basic framework of the app obviously isn on it's own.

[ucla695]

That looks great! This is going on my iTouch for sure, which I currently use to take notes on cigars I'm smoking! It'd be great to have this info handy. I also think that it would be great to be able to enter review info. Well done.

[KenS]

Update:

I've spent a lot of time reworking the code on this to get it ready for a native iPhone/Touch app, but for now it's still web based.



Other changes:

• Slightly redesigned screens and colors. Looks a little better, I think.
• User login for adding/editing cigar info. (and User/password management).
• No login required to browse information.
• Displays who added (and last edited) each cigar.
• Cigar length can be entered in mm or inches. App will figure it out and store correctly.
• Clicking on the "Mobile Stogie" header returns to home screen

So, now I'm looking for a few folks who are willing to put it through its paces and see how it behaves. I'm not enabling "self register" yet, so you'll need to PM me with your email address, and I'll register you and email you the info.

To test this correctly, you'll need:

• An iPhone, iPod Touch, or Safari Browser (windoze or mac). I can't predict how it might behave on other browsers, but since I'm ultimately targeting a native iPhone/Touch app, I'm focusing on the Safari browser capabilities. Sorry, for now it does not work on a blackberry.
• A willingness to add cigar info into the database and cleanup any missing data that you can.
• A willingness to provide feedback, as well as patience if I don't change things instantly

Most of the previous feedback focused on personal inventory and tasting notes, both of which really need the native app coded, so those are "coming soon". What I plan to add next is:

• A place to add some type of price info
• An additional characteristic for NC's like "line" or "sub-brand", since NC brands are all over the board in this regard.
• Additional views of data ("my adds", "Missing Data", etc.)
• Search capability
• Appropriate "back buttons" to aid in navigation.

Comments on those features are welcome!!

Finally, even if you don't want to signup for testing, feel free to browse the site, as the CC data is pretty complete already and is a handy reference, especially on the iPhone.

Again, the site is www.vapor nova.com/mobilestogie/ and you have to get rid of the space in the name, since the CA software thinks I'm posting about ****

[KenS]

Here's a link that will work directly to go to the Mobile Stogie website.

[Lee]

Wow! You've put a lot of work into this lately Ken. It looks great!

[shilala]

Wow Ken, that's sick.
All I can say is "Thank God I don't have to database my cigars."

[alley00p]

Ken, I just put the web app on my iPhone and it looks great!

I'd be happy to do some testing for you, if you're still looking! Let me know...

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

[KenS]

Originally Posted by alley00p

Ken, I just put the web app on my iPhone and it looks great!

I'd be happy to do some testing for you, if you're still looking! Let me know...

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

PM me your email address please, and I'll register you for edit capability. Thanks for your help!

[DPD6030]

Great job Ken. Now if I only had an I-phone.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by shilala

Wow Ken, that's sick.
All I can say is "Thank God I don't have to database my cigars."

This database wouldn't be big enough for all your cigars

[HK3-]

Looking great Ken! I would help but I dont own an Iphone either..

[KenS]

Originally Posted by HK3-

Looking great Ken! I would help but I dont own an Iphone either..

But you do have Safari loaded, right? At least when you are sitting at work goofing off, you could be adding info to the database

[HK3-]

Originally Posted by KenS

But you do have Safari loaded, right? At least when you are sitting at work goofing off, you could be adding info to the database

This is very true.

[sikk50]

Looks better than the taster app I paid $5 for last week.

My biggest beef with the one I have and I hope yours won't lack it, is that it doesn't have an inventory. I want to keep track if what cigars I have, when I bought them, and once I smoke the a spot to enter place/date smoked. I think you have a form base down. Also the abuility to add a picture library. So you can tag pics of the cigar to it, and not have to keep them in your camera role.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by sikk50

Looks better than the taster app I paid $5 for last week.

My biggest beef with the one I have and I hope yours won't lack it, is that it doesn't have an inventory. I want to keep track if what cigars I have, when I bought them, and once I smoke the a spot to enter place/date smoked. I think you have a form base down. Also the abuility to add a picture library. So you can tag pics of the cigar to it, and not have to keep them in your camera role.

Yes, the inventory feature is key, but really has to wait for a native app, so that I can store that data locally on your device. I don't imagine that people want to store their inventory in my database on my server (of course I wouldn't mind knowing who has all the best smokes ). Also the camera access is not available to a web app, so that's also a "native app" feature.

I continue to prototype this as a web app, but I have started the native app as well. In the meantime, please keep the feedback coming!

Thanks

[sikk50]

Feel free to let me beta test when the native app is up and running

[KenS]

Originally Posted by sikk50

Feel free to let me beta test when the native app is up and running

Will do. Thanks

[KenS]

Further update:

Fixed:

• Cleaned up and greatly simplified the code, so it no longer relies on javascript and form posting. The result is a big reduction in alerts about "reposting form data" when you use the back button. Should make navigation much nicer.
• Seems to run fine on Firefox now, with just a few css alignment issues, but still plenty usable.
• IE6 still sucks (general statement ), and I haven't checked on IE7 yet.

Added:

• A couple more views showing adds and edits by username.

Still working to make it a native app for iPhone/iPod Touch

Can somebody check compatibility with Google Chrome and with IE7 please?