Location

I just quite didn't have time to post about yesterday's update and there's a bit of an overlap with the changes for today.  Yesterday's changes were some bugs reported by users.

The first one had to do with setting the Music button.  Apparently the ROM he's using has two different versions of Google Music installed.  It didn't matter which one he picked from the list, it always launched the older one.  I just had to adjust how I was finding and saving the intent.  While I'm thinking about the music button, over the life of Desk Clock Plus, there have a been a number of people who have emailed and said that music play {insert app here} doesn't show up in the list.  This has more to do with the other app than mine.  I'm trying to figure out what apps are registered to handle .MP3 files.


final String MP3_FILE = "/sdcard/media_api/music/SHORTMP3.mp3";
        Intent viewIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW);
        Uri uri = Uri.fromParts("file", MP3_FILE, null);
        viewIntent.setDataAndType(uri, "audio/mp3");     
        Intent pickIntent = new Intent(Intent.ACTION_PICK_ACTIVITY);
        pickIntent.putExtra(Intent.EXTRA_INTENT, viewIntent);    
        startActivityForResult(pickIntent, MUSICPICKER);  


If the app isn't registered with the system to "view" a mp3, it doesn't show up in the list.  If anyone has a better way of doing this please let me know.

The other one which once again was reported by a pair of users with HP Touchpads saying that the display was way off.  Basically, the font sizes needed to be shrunk down the size of the font and weather icon to make everything fit.  Part of the major redesign when version 1.0 was released, all of the sizes, heights and widths were moved into one XML file.  This allowed me to very easily change everything to fit on to the Thouchpad.  Unfortunately, I didn't shrink the weather enough and the High/Low temp degree mark was pushed off the edge.  That was fixed in today's update...

So, the big thing for today's update is major improvement to finding your location.  Previously, I was relying on the last known location.  If I loop though everything and nothing knows where you're at then I'm forcing the device to update it's location.  I'm not 100% I'm happy with how all this works and it will probably be reexamined in the future.  Also, as it turns out the feature to use the IP address for the location wasn't working anymore (the web service I was using went away).  Fortunately, Yahoo had a replacement that I was able to use instead.

Finally, I also updated the "Immediate" time out to be more immediate.  As pointed out by Omniwolf in the comments, it was a little confusing / misleading.

Unless something comes up, I'm going to start on the static location tomorrow... Given the the changes I've made yesterday, I don't think that it's going to take me very long.

'Hide and Seek' or 'I'm not touching you'

I just pushed out version 1.0.0.8 to the market this afternoon.  The big new feature is for Scrolling Dock users, you can now swipe up or down on the dock area to show or hide the dock giving you a little more clear space to enjoy your background.  There are also settings for the dock to "auto-hide" after a time period which also includes immediately (well, 15 second delay).

Also as per a suggestion from a user, there is now an option to dim the dark clock immediately as well.  Once again it's really a 15 second initial delay...  I figured you needed a short delay just to show the transition from non-dimmed to dimmed.  The other thing that is new for the dark clock is that the proximity sensor is now being monitored.  Typically the proximity sensors is located by the speaker at the top of the phone.  If the clock is dimmed and you wave your hand close by the sensor, the screen will un-dim for 15 seconds.  I figured that would be good for someone who wakes up in the middle of the night and wants to check the time.  This way the screen is only lit up for a short time instead of the five minutes (or more) for when the screen is touched.

I also linked the proximity sensor the the hidden dock as well.  If the dock is hidden and you trip the proximity sensor it will open the dock for 15 seconds.  This feature is a little more of a novelty, but the code was all there for the dark clock to do it and this program is a learning tool for me, so why not put it in?

The next thing up is the much requested "static" location for the weather... now that I know how to handle this for international locations.

Sieben

The biggest update to the newest version is improved German strings.  Thanks to Johannes of Austria for reviewing and updating the XML files for me so they make a little more sense.  I've actually had a fair amount of purchases from Austria and Germany so hopefully this leads to more sales in that region... look at me using real fancy business lingo there!  

Speaking of Europe, the following comment was left in the market:

FAJNY, ALE Zawsze pokazuje temperature w st F bez wzgledu na ustawienia (GALAXY TAB)

Google Translate tells me that he said:

Cool, but always shows the temperature in F st regardless of settings (GALAXY TAB)

Which isn't 100% true, it was holding onto the last weather it knew (as per this update).  Since the first update was in Fahrenheit it stuck after the unit was changed.  Now when the weather unit is changed it will force a refresh to get the correct units.

I also fixed a minor run time error (causing a force close) that would happen sometimes where there were no images to be added to the pool. 

I'm working on a new feature for Scrolling Dock users that I'm hoping that I can get pushed out before Christmas, but I'm not sure that's going to happen...

Happy Birthday

Looking at old posts, I realized that Desk Clock Plus was released today a year ago.  Over the past year it's come quite along way.  From new features, languages, fixed bugs I'm very happy and proud of my little app (it is just a clock after all).  The stats aren't crazy, but I'm pretty impressed by them:

• 24,724 total installs
• 5,540 active installs
• 155 ratings (with a 3.8 average rating)

It's being used in a number of different countries as illustrated by this map of the users who have purchased the scrolling dock extension:

It's running on a number of different devices and apparently can run on over 804 devices including the new Galaxy Nexus...

A birthday wouldn't be complete with out an Ice Cream Sandwich...

A coworker of mine got a shiny new Nexus, so I had to Desk Clock Plus on it for him.  I also have it using the new "Yellow Flower" theme, which I remember doing a while back, but apparently never made available... 

Two Quick Updates

So version 1.0.0.5 was pushed to the market yesterday and 1.0.0.6 a little while ago.  Not too much new with these, mostly minor bug fixes based upon emails and the force close reports that Google gives me.  Here's the details of what's fixed:

• Slide Show - There looks to have been a slight timing error with the loading of the images and the slide show starting that would cause to hang and the "Loading.  Please wait..." dialog.  Some code rearrangement, additional checks and more messages should give a better user interface experience and fix the problem.
• Purchase Service FC - This might account for some of the "random force closes".  Looking at the logs, the purchase service apparently doesn't always receive an intent when it's started.  It then causes a Force Close.  I find this odd as this is Google code that I'm sure other people are using and I don't know why the bug is in the example.  I simply and checking and catching the parsing of the intent.  Hopefully I stop getting error logs about this.
• Screen Saver - The timer wasn't being set when the application was loaded.  It was only started if you left the main screen (opened the preferences for example) and came back.
• Weather Display - I fixed a minor display bug that was happening on some devices.
• Location - I've got a couple users who are have location issues.  I previously tried to fix it with some additional permissions, but that still doesn't seem to be fixing it.  So there's a new option in the Weather settings screen for "Location Error Messages".  This will display toast messages when it tries and fails to get your location based on what ever service.  Hopefully this will help me figure out how to fix the problem(s).  I may also be having problems with the "Use IP address" feature and I need to email someone about that.

I think that takes care of all the things that are broken from the major changes that happened going to the version 1.0 release.  So hopefully this will mean less updates and will allow me to work on additional new development instead of the "fire fighting" fixing issues.

Next Batch

Version 1.0.0.4 is now in the market.

Once again just a couple of fixes and enhancements

• Dark Clock (Screen Saver) - I got an email from a user saying that the night clock no longer dimmed, but it did dim, just so very little  you couldn't tell.  When I incorporated the better dimming for the "Smoke" level on the main screen I changed it to take an integer (ie 30%) while the Dark Clock's dim was expecting a decimal (ie .30).  Yes it was very Micheal Bolton of me to misplace the decimal...
• Dark Clock - I added an option to keep the screen on when in the Screen Saver mode.  Some people want it on, others want it off, so now there's an option.
• Strings - I've had an on going error log pop up that I haven't been able to put my finger on.  It turns out (or so I believe) that when I did the string translation the substitution strings (minutes %s until alarm) got messed up and I think were causing issues with setting alarms.  I've fixed all of those and I'm hoping that goes away.
• Translation - Sergio from Chile contacted me awhile back saying that my Spanish translations were off and that some did not make sense (this has happened before).  He offered to fix things up and those are now in place (there are some new strings that haven't been reviewed yet).  I wanted to tell Sergio 'Gracias' for his help!  This prompted me to put a link to this page asking for translating for other languages.

This leaves me with one other big bug left with the purchasing service, which someone left a note in the report that "wasn't even doing anything with it." which might mean that something is just not being set or caught correctly...

After knocking that issue out I've got these two enhancements for the dock extension:

• Launch a specific app when removed from the dock.
• Tablet Dock Mode by this I mean stretch the dock the entire width of the device and use a gallery for the icons.

Quick Fixes

Version 1.0.0.3 is in the market.  Just a couple of things fixed:

• Picasa - This probably didn't effect too many people, but it was a bug when you had Picasa images chosen for the background, but didn't choose any Albums
• Weather and Location - I'm now holding on to the weather and location information so I don't have to look it up all the time.  This should make rotation and weather update refreshes faster.