iPhone Cigar App ... need beta testers

I agree, I would have Gurkha, with all the sub-brands below that.

Yes, Gurkha then all the Gurkha sub brands under the main Gurkha listing, as they are all made by the same company.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by mkr160

Yes, Gurkha then all the Gurkha sub brands under the main Gurkha listing, as they are all made by the same company.

Seems to be a concensus. Not surprised, but just wanted to get a little feedback before changing things. What I've settled on is not to add another drilldown page for the subbrands, but rather just include them in the name of each cigar. The cigar listing screen will simply have some cigars with kinda long names, but I'll wrap the text appropriately. Early testing seems to show it will work fine.

Thanks everybody

[Sr Mike]

I agree, no need to over complicate things. If someone really wants it that way, you do give them the options of adding more brands.

I had an interesting glitch the other day. The app got caught in a weird event, I was on a brand (I believe it was Cohiba CC) and as I tapped the back button, it turned the page, but I ended up on the same page. I tapped the back button several times, each time the page looked like it was changing, but it remained on the same page until the app closed out on its own. It has not happened since, I tried to see if it would happen again, but so far it has not happened again. I figured I would share.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by Sr Mike

I agree, no need to over complicate things. If someone really wants it that way, you do give them the options of adding more brands.

I had an interesting glitch the other day. The app got caught in a weird event, I was on a brand (I believe it was Cohiba CC) and as I tapped the back button, it turned the page, but I ended up on the same page. I tapped the back button several times, each time the page looked like it was changing, but it remained on the same page until the app closed out on its own. It has not happened since, I tried to see if it would happen again, but so far it has not happened again. I figured I would share.

I have seen something similar one time as well, but cannot reproduce it. I have been optimizing some of the code to reduce the memory footprint, so hopefully it gets cleaned up by that work. If it happens again, especially if you can reproduce it, please let me know.

Thanks.

[KenS]

Final update tonight:

• Code changes are largely done for beta 3.
• Added a Google button to the cigar detail page. Does a search for currently selected cigar.
• Added many, many new NC's (thanks Lee and Jon!). Total cigar count is up to 1,151 (and growing), getting better balance between CC and NC.

Will try to get a final beta release out to the testers tomorrow. I think it's still on track for end of week submission to Apple.

[karmaz00]

nice work.cant wait to get ti

Ken - Since putting beta 3 on my phone it keeps crashing, J/K. It is running smooth as can be. Sorry if these are dups, here is what I have. The sort feature is nice, but can a cancel button be added? Currently you have to select one of the options. I noticed you can't add a cigar brand to your humidor without putting in a quantity. Might be nice for the initial population purposes if you know you have a cigar but not the quantity, you could edit that later. the last thing is an edit option, where the only option is to actually delete it. From:my cigars, NC, Fuente Fuente Opusx(or any brand), list screen dbl robosto, churchill etc, the next screen, dbl robosto is listed, the edit option only allows you to delete it, if you go to the next/final screen you can edit the options, quantities etc. Next is the wish list, if you add a cigar, you can't see any details page, meaning: my cigars, wishlist, cc, Bolivar, Amado Seleccion E <end> should this end on the same page as the reference page where there are details on the cigar? Next is a feature request, if your in your wish list, how about an option to add that cigar to a humidor? Finally, a home button. If I'm knee deep in my cigars, and want to get back to my humidors/wishlist you currently have to back out. If you hit home, it takes me to the login screen, then if I click my cigars, I am back where I left.

Sorry for the long message, and if anything's not clear email or PM me and I can better explain.

thanks

Originally Posted by promethius

Finally, a home button. If I'm knee deep in my cigars, and want to get back to my humidors/wishlist you currently have to back out. If you hit home, it takes me to the login screen, then if I click my cigars, I am back where I left.

I can help on this one! Hitting the section button will take you to the first screen of that section. For example, if you're in reference and you drill down to a cigar, hitting the reference button again will bring you back to the top. Works the same way for the My Cigars section.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by promethius

The sort feature is nice, but can a cancel button be added? Currently you have to select one of the options.

How about if I simply highlight the current option, and if you don't want to change, then just click that one. The design guidelines suggest that more than three buttons on that alert panel is 'undesirable'

I noticed you can't add a cigar brand to your humidor without putting in a quantity. Might be nice for the initial population purposes if you know you have a cigar but not the quantity, you could edit that later.

I keep thinking about this one, but here's the question: On the home screen I list the total quantity in your humidors, and the number of "unique cigars". what if you had a cigar with quantity of 5 in your humidor, and 10 other cigars with quantity of 0. Those numbers would show:

5 Total Cigars
11 unique cigars

which looks kind of strange. Thoughts on how to manage that situation?

the last thing is an edit option, where the only option is to actually delete it. From:my cigars, NC, Fuente Fuente Opusx(or any brand), list screen dbl robosto, churchill etc, the next screen, dbl robosto is listed, the edit option only allows you to delete it, if you go to the next/final screen you can edit the options, quantities etc.

that button really means "edit list". It is pretty consistent with other iPhone apps in that regard. The challenge is allowing other editing without already having a cigar selected. Thoughts on behavior you'd like to see?

Next is the wish list, if you add a cigar, you can't see any details page, meaning: my cigars, wishlist, cc, Bolivar, Amado Seleccion E <end> should this end on the same page as the reference page where there are details on the cigar?

Yes, this is something I want to do, but might be a version 1.1 feature.

Next is a feature request, if your in your wish list, how about an option to add that cigar to a humidor?

Good idea, and probably pretty easy to implement. I'll take a hard look at fitting that in for the initial release.

Finally, a home button. If I'm knee deep in my cigars, and want to get back to my humidors/wishlist you currently have to back out. If you hit home, it takes me to the login screen, then if I click my cigars, I am back where I left.

Jon already answered that one. Just click the section button again to go to the "top" of that section. Just so you know, that works in other iPhone apps as well, and I just learned about it recently myself

Sorry for the long message, and if anything's not clear email or PM me and I can better explain.

thanks

I appreciate your great testing and feedback!!

[Sauer Grapes]

Originally Posted by KenS

I keep thinking about this one, but here's the question: On the home screen I list the total quantity in your humidors, and the number of "unique cigars". what if you had a cigar with quantity of 5 in your humidor, and 10 other cigars with quantity of 0. Those numbers would show:

5 Total Cigars
11 unique cigars

which looks kind of strange. Thoughts on how to manage that situation?

Just a thought... why couldn't the app read any cigar with an unlisted quantity as 1,s o it could read 15 total cigars, 11 unique cigars? Seems like you could tell it default quantity is 1 or something like that.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by Sauer Grapes

Just a thought... why couldn't the app read any cigar with an unlisted quantity as 1,s o it could read 15 total cigars, 11 unique cigars? Seems like you could tell it default quantity is 1 or something like that.

The way I've chosen to handle 0 quantity cigars is this (after consulting with Andrew, Lee and Jon during our wednesday HERF ):

If you put a quantity of zero for something in your humidor (while adding or editing), it will not count toward the totals on the home screen. The theory is this: you can't put zero of something in your actual humidor, so you shouldn't expect this to show in the stats. Having said that, there is value in being able to do this, so you can essentially keep a history of cigars that you once had (notes, where you got them, rating, etc.).

Hopefully all of this becomes moot when I add a more robust 'Smoking Notes' section to the app in the next version.

Now I have to go make this change, so I can get this out the door!!!

[KenS]

Thought I would share the new numbers on the database. It now contains reference information for 1,700 unique cigars (718 CC's and 982 NC's).



Some of the key recent additions:

• 5 Vegas
• 601
• A. Fuente
• Ashton
• Camacho
• DPG
• Graycliff
• Gurkha
• La Aroma de Cuba
• La Aurora
• La Flor Dominicana
• Oliva
• Padron
• Perdomo
• Rocky Patel
• Tatuaje

Hopefully this helps to balance out the CC vs. NC focus of the app. There is still the ability for people to add any cigars they want, and edit the ones that are in there (I'm sure there are errors in the data; you'd be amazed at the amount of conflicting info about so many cigars). In any case, I expect it will be much more likely that people will find a good many of their own cigars in the database, so setting up the inventory part should be much easier for the user.

Who knew there were so many damn cigars ... 90 of them alone for Rocky Patel !!

Ok, back to work ...

Originally Posted by KenS

How about if I simply highlight the current option, and if you don't want to change, then just click that one. The design guidelines suggest that more than three buttons on that alert panel is 'undesirable'

That would work, and is actually what I did was select the current option. Highlighting it would be good. I agree on the too many buttons.

I keep thinking about this one, but here's the question: On the home screen I list the total quantity in your humidors, and the number of "unique cigars". what if you had a cigar with quantity of 5 in your humidor, and 10 other cigars with quantity of 0. Those numbers would show:

5 Total Cigars
11 unique cigars

which looks kind of strange. Thoughts on how to manage that situation?

How about a 3rd option, of Total wanted cigars?
5 Total Cigars
11 unique cigars
6 Wanted Cigars?

then from the wanted cigars screen, you could add a quantity to a humidor and it would be removed from the wanted list?

that button really means "edit list". It is pretty consistent with other iPhone apps in that regard. The challenge is allowing other editing without already having a cigar selected. Thoughts on behavior you'd like to see?

I guess my thought is it feels like an extra page, where the only option is the edit button, and the only option from edit is to delete the cigar. I'm kinda stuck on ideas for it, is this between screen needed?

Yes, this is something I want to do, but might be a version 1.1 feature.


Good idea, and probably pretty easy to implement. I'll take a hard look at fitting that in for the initial release.


Jon already answered that one. Just click the section button again to go to the "top" of that section. Just so you know, that works in other iPhone apps as well, and I just learned about it recently myself



I appreciate your great testing and feedback!!

It's been a pleasure! look forwarding to purchasing it from Apple when it's released!

yep, perfect! thanks for the heads up.

Oh, the google button is Nice as well!

[DPD6030]

Wonder how long apple will review this before releasing it. I am over this app. Thanks for all the hard work Ken.

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by DPD6030

Wonder how long apple will review this before releasing it. I am over this app. Thanks for all the hard work Ken.

Well, based on Apple's press release/video yesterday, they said the majority of applications were approved within 7 days.

[KenS]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Well, based on Apple's press release/video yesterday, they said the majority of applications were approved within 7 days.

yup, I saw that. Let's just hope I'm not in the 4% that don't get approved at all

[Blueface]

Originally Posted by KenS

yup, I saw that. Let's just hope I'm not in the 4% that don't get approved at all

Well, you are going to have a crap load of us writing to Apple.