Posted by Mark Locker on 23rd February 2010.
We first gave you a look at Thrill Seeker 2.0 back in September and since then it's come on leaps and bounds. I'm pleased to tell you that the app is now nearing completion and will hit the app store next month!
So, time for a big update on some of our main features. Here it goes...
First off the gallery is now 100% complete and we've enlarged the thumbnails to fit three photos per row:
Here's a photo that's selected, you can either swipe to scroll through or use the arrow buttons at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. The action button at the bottom left of the screen brings up the option to save the image to your camera roll:
Next up, the nearby screen. It's now fully working and has been re-designed to show the exact distance to each item:
Search is also now implemented. You can perform a text search and use the A-Z index to scrub through results. This screen now displays the category of each item too:
Maps have been a highly requested feature and they've been fully integrated as a method of browsing through a park. Just like in the list view, you can filter what's displayed too. Here's a map showing all of the rides at Alton Towers:
If you change the filter to show more than one type of item, the pins on the map become colour coded. Here's everything in the Forbidden Valley area of the park. Rides are in red, attractions in green and facilities in purple:
Tapping a pin brings up the name of the item, along with its category, and you can tap the arrow to the right to navigate to that item's screen:
You may notice that our hand drawn maps are not yet implemented - 'Why!?' I hear you cry! Well, unfortunately they won't arrive until 2.1 due to some technical restraints. We want our own maps to be very high resolution and we want to allow them to be stored on the device for use without a network connection. We're going to take the time to get this right and we're sure it'll be worth the extra wait. To help soften that blow, here's a teaser of the kind of thing you can expect:
Finally, our much improved directions feature. This has undergone a total overhaul and now includes text directions, an annotated map, estimated walking distance remaining and a compass:
Directions are faster an more intelligent than ever. Here's a more complex route taking place across multiple theme parks within Walt Disney World Resort. The route is from the Classic Carousel in Downtown Disney to Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom and makes use of the resort bus routes:
You can even tap on parts from the list and the map will zoom in and highlight that part of the route:
So, that's a shed load of screenshots covering Thrill Seeker 2.0 to keep you all up to date! There's still some features we've not uncovered so keep checking back for more in the run up to the big 2.0 release. Remember, you can subscribe to our mailing list to be notified when it becomes available.
So, time for a big update on some of our main features. Here it goes...
First off the gallery is now 100% complete and we've enlarged the thumbnails to fit three photos per row:
Here's a photo that's selected, you can either swipe to scroll through or use the arrow buttons at the bottom right hand corner of the screen. The action button at the bottom left of the screen brings up the option to save the image to your camera roll:
Next up, the nearby screen. It's now fully working and has been re-designed to show the exact distance to each item:
Search is also now implemented. You can perform a text search and use the A-Z index to scrub through results. This screen now displays the category of each item too:
Maps have been a highly requested feature and they've been fully integrated as a method of browsing through a park. Just like in the list view, you can filter what's displayed too. Here's a map showing all of the rides at Alton Towers:
If you change the filter to show more than one type of item, the pins on the map become colour coded. Here's everything in the Forbidden Valley area of the park. Rides are in red, attractions in green and facilities in purple:
Tapping a pin brings up the name of the item, along with its category, and you can tap the arrow to the right to navigate to that item's screen:
You may notice that our hand drawn maps are not yet implemented - 'Why!?' I hear you cry! Well, unfortunately they won't arrive until 2.1 due to some technical restraints. We want our own maps to be very high resolution and we want to allow them to be stored on the device for use without a network connection. We're going to take the time to get this right and we're sure it'll be worth the extra wait. To help soften that blow, here's a teaser of the kind of thing you can expect:
Finally, our much improved directions feature. This has undergone a total overhaul and now includes text directions, an annotated map, estimated walking distance remaining and a compass:
Directions are faster an more intelligent than ever. Here's a more complex route taking place across multiple theme parks within Walt Disney World Resort. The route is from the Classic Carousel in Downtown Disney to Kilimanjaro Safaris in Animal Kingdom and makes use of the resort bus routes:
You can even tap on parts from the list and the map will zoom in and highlight that part of the route:
So, that's a shed load of screenshots covering Thrill Seeker 2.0 to keep you all up to date! There's still some features we've not uncovered so keep checking back for more in the run up to the big 2.0 release. Remember, you can subscribe to our mailing list to be notified when it becomes available.
Posted by Mark Locker on 1st February 2010.
With all of our efforts and attention currently being directed at Thrill Seeker 2.0, it's easy to forget the success of Towers Guide. Towers Guide, of course, was the first app we released. For those of you that don't know, it's basically got all of the Thrill Seeker functionality but just covers Alton Towers - and it's free!
We're delighted to report that on 29th January Towers Guide received it's 5,000th download. That means that Towers Guide is installed on over 5,000 iPhones/iPod touches, which thinking about it, is pretty awesome!
Here's to the next 5,000!
We're delighted to report that on 29th January Towers Guide received it's 5,000th download. That means that Towers Guide is installed on over 5,000 iPhones/iPod touches, which thinking about it, is pretty awesome!
Here's to the next 5,000!
Posted by Mark Locker on 18th December 2009.
One of the most requested features for Thrill Seeker has been the addition of photos to the app and today I'm pleased to be able to tell you that the implementation of photos is virtually complete!
Thrill Seeker will download photos from our server, displaying them in a way very similar to the native 'Photos' application that comes with all iPhones and iPod touches. Once a photo has been downloaded, it's cached so that you don't need to download it again. If you're viewing lots of photos, then the cache can of course grow quite large, so there's an option to clear the cache if you're running low on space - or disable it all together.
Here's a shot of the Photos screen for the Oblivion ride at Alton Towers:
You can navigate through photos just like you do in the native 'Photos' app, by swiping left and right with your finger. There's also a button at the bottom left of the screen which brings up the option to save the current image to your camera roll:
We'll be busy populating Thrill Seeker with 1,000's of photos between now and the launch of the app and can't wait to deliver some multimedia to our users.
Thrill Seeker will download photos from our server, displaying them in a way very similar to the native 'Photos' application that comes with all iPhones and iPod touches. Once a photo has been downloaded, it's cached so that you don't need to download it again. If you're viewing lots of photos, then the cache can of course grow quite large, so there's an option to clear the cache if you're running low on space - or disable it all together.
Here's a shot of the Photos screen for the Oblivion ride at Alton Towers:
You can navigate through photos just like you do in the native 'Photos' app, by swiping left and right with your finger. There's also a button at the bottom left of the screen which brings up the option to save the current image to your camera roll:
We'll be busy populating Thrill Seeker with 1,000's of photos between now and the launch of the app and can't wait to deliver some multimedia to our users.
Posted by Mark Locker on 16th November 2009.
As promised, it's time for an update on the progress of Thrill Seeker version 2.0. For those who aren't aware, Thrill Seeker is currently being totally re-written from the ground up as we build in a host of brand new features and improve upon the ones already there.
A month back I posted the first screenshot of version 2.0 and today I will reveal some others. It's worth noting that the screenshots below are far from complete articles, but I'll try to explain where we're at.
The above screenshot shows the screen you come to when you navigate into a theme park. The first thing to note is that the title bar is an ever so slightly different shade a blue (a touch darker), the tiniest of cosmetic changes we know, but we think it looks better!
We've made quite significant improvements to make finding the rides, attractions and facilities you're after much easier. Firstly, each item now has a subtitle which describes the type of entity it is. After all, if you're at a park you're not familiar with, how are you supposed to know what "Arctic Express" is? You'd probably think it was some sort of train ride, but with version 2.0 of Thrill Seeker you'll be able to see that it's a take away thanks to the accompanying subtitle.
The button found at the bottom right of the screen will eventually take you to the park map(s), but there's not much to show in that department just yet. The button on the bottom right of the screen opens up something new - filtering.
Filtering is the second big change to browsing. With version 1 of Thrill Seeker you could select from a set of three buttons whether you wanted to see "Rides", "Attractions" or "Facilities". With version 2.0 you'll be able to select from a whole lot more! Tapping on the bottom left button (don't worry - the button icons will change!) will bring up a list of possible filters - as shown in the screenshot above. Selecting any of these filters will immediately return you to the previous screen with the selected filter taking effect.
Moving onto the final screenshot, you can see the current state of the item screen. As you can see, all rides/attractions/facilities will now have a small thumbnail icon accompanying their description. You'll also notice a re-shuffled menu of options, including the addition of "Multimedia" which will eventually offer photo and video galleries. There are actually quite a few things left to add to this screen, which we think will be super-useful, more on that as they're developed.
So, I hope that's enough to raise those excitement levels once again! Nothing quite ground breaking to show yet, but lots more exciting things are on the way so remember to keep checking back to this blog for the latest Thrill Seeker news.
A month back I posted the first screenshot of version 2.0 and today I will reveal some others. It's worth noting that the screenshots below are far from complete articles, but I'll try to explain where we're at.
The above screenshot shows the screen you come to when you navigate into a theme park. The first thing to note is that the title bar is an ever so slightly different shade a blue (a touch darker), the tiniest of cosmetic changes we know, but we think it looks better!
We've made quite significant improvements to make finding the rides, attractions and facilities you're after much easier. Firstly, each item now has a subtitle which describes the type of entity it is. After all, if you're at a park you're not familiar with, how are you supposed to know what "Arctic Express" is? You'd probably think it was some sort of train ride, but with version 2.0 of Thrill Seeker you'll be able to see that it's a take away thanks to the accompanying subtitle.
The button found at the bottom right of the screen will eventually take you to the park map(s), but there's not much to show in that department just yet. The button on the bottom right of the screen opens up something new - filtering.
Filtering is the second big change to browsing. With version 1 of Thrill Seeker you could select from a set of three buttons whether you wanted to see "Rides", "Attractions" or "Facilities". With version 2.0 you'll be able to select from a whole lot more! Tapping on the bottom left button (don't worry - the button icons will change!) will bring up a list of possible filters - as shown in the screenshot above. Selecting any of these filters will immediately return you to the previous screen with the selected filter taking effect.
Moving onto the final screenshot, you can see the current state of the item screen. As you can see, all rides/attractions/facilities will now have a small thumbnail icon accompanying their description. You'll also notice a re-shuffled menu of options, including the addition of "Multimedia" which will eventually offer photo and video galleries. There are actually quite a few things left to add to this screen, which we think will be super-useful, more on that as they're developed.
So, I hope that's enough to raise those excitement levels once again! Nothing quite ground breaking to show yet, but lots more exciting things are on the way so remember to keep checking back to this blog for the latest Thrill Seeker news.
Posted by Mark Locker on 15th November 2009.
Since our last blog entry just 3 weeks ago, a further 2 parks have been added to Thrill Seeker: SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa.
Busch Gardens Tampa includes Adventure Island and Busch Gardens Africa whilst SeaWorld Orlando includes Aquatica, Discovery Cove and SeaWorld - bringing the total parks we cover up to 19.
As with all updates, the addition will automatically appear within Thrill Seeker the next time the app checks for updates. To get the new parks immediately, you can set Thrill Seeker to check for updates every time it launches from within the 'Settings' app.
A version 2 update will be posted soon, as I promised in the last entry. Stay tuned!
Busch Gardens Tampa includes Adventure Island and Busch Gardens Africa whilst SeaWorld Orlando includes Aquatica, Discovery Cove and SeaWorld - bringing the total parks we cover up to 19.
As with all updates, the addition will automatically appear within Thrill Seeker the next time the app checks for updates. To get the new parks immediately, you can set Thrill Seeker to check for updates every time it launches from within the 'Settings' app.
A version 2 update will be posted soon, as I promised in the last entry. Stay tuned!
Posted by Mark Locker on 23rd October 2009.
Yesterday we flicked the switch and added another huge resort to Thrill Seeker - Universal Orlando! The addition will automatically appear within Thrill Seeker the next time the app looks for updates. If you can't wait, you can set Thrill Seeker to check for updates every time it launches from within the 'Settings' app.
Universal Orlando Resort features Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida and the Wet 'n Wild Water Park. This brings the total number of parks covered up to 14 - and you guessed it, we still have plenty more in the pipeline!
We're really excited to be able to continue to offer new content to our existing users, which reminds me, version 2 of the app is progressing very well and you can expect an update (with screenshots) soon!
Universal Orlando Resort features Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Florida and the Wet 'n Wild Water Park. This brings the total number of parks covered up to 14 - and you guessed it, we still have plenty more in the pipeline!
We're really excited to be able to continue to offer new content to our existing users, which reminds me, version 2 of the app is progressing very well and you can expect an update (with screenshots) soon!
Posted by Mark Locker on 14th September 2009.
Work on Thrill Seeker version 2.0 has really been cracking on, so much so that I can today reveal to you the first screenshot of it in action:
As you can see, theme parks now have the park logo accompanying them. Not only that, but the location of each park is displayed underneath the park name, along with the distance to it.
The screenshot above is what it would look like if you launched the app whilst you were at Alton Towers. We hope that these improvements will make it even easier to identify different parks, and your proximity to them.
As you can see, theme parks now have the park logo accompanying them. Not only that, but the location of each park is displayed underneath the park name, along with the distance to it.
The screenshot above is what it would look like if you launched the app whilst you were at Alton Towers. We hope that these improvements will make it even easier to identify different parks, and your proximity to them.
Posted by Mark Locker on 10th September 2009.
The Season Pass Podcast is an american based podcast which provides all of the latest theme park related news & rumours, with a variety of interesting debates on their weekly show.
Robert & I were invited to be guests on their latest episode (number 96), and discuss Thrill Seeker in some depth, explaining where the idea came from and revealing some of the things we have planned for the future.
You can listen to the podcast here, but also be sure to check out their main site.
Robert & I were invited to be guests on their latest episode (number 96), and discuss Thrill Seeker in some depth, explaining where the idea came from and revealing some of the things we have planned for the future.
You can listen to the podcast here, but also be sure to check out their main site.
Posted by Mark Locker on 10th September 2009.
It's just 3 weeks since the launch of Thrill Seeker, and we're already adding to our line-up of parks with the addition of Oakwood theme park in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
Oakwood is most famous for Megafobia, which has been voted amongst the best wooden coasters in the world. More recently, Speed has drew some attention with it's 97 degree drop and the park is also home to Hydro, one of the steepest water rides in the world.
We hope that you find Oakwood theme park a useful addition to the app!
Oakwood is most famous for Megafobia, which has been voted amongst the best wooden coasters in the world. More recently, Speed has drew some attention with it's 97 degree drop and the park is also home to Hydro, one of the steepest water rides in the world.
We hope that you find Oakwood theme park a useful addition to the app!
Posted by Mark Locker on 10th September 2009.
This morning, when yesterdays statistics for Thrill Seeker downloads came in, we were slightly baffled by the fact that 3 downloads had come from Brazil - we'd never had any downloads from Brazil before! My immediate thought was that we may have been featured on the Brazilian app store's main page - and to my delight I was right!
We made it into the 'New & Noteworthy' section:
Here's to being featured in many more places in the future!
We made it into the 'New & Noteworthy' section:
Here's to being featured in many more places in the future!
Posted by Mark Locker on 10th September 2009.
Today the Thrill Seeker website has been relaunched and now matches the design of the Towers Guide website. What's more, this blog will now be available on both sites.
We'll be looking to improve both sites during the development of version 2 of the app - so feel free to leave a comment with any suggestions you may have.
We'll be looking to improve both sites during the development of version 2 of the app - so feel free to leave a comment with any suggestions you may have.
Posted by Mark Locker on 8th September 2009.
Following in the footsteps of Towers Guide, Thrill Seeker has been another great success. To hear comments from international users has been fantastic, and we're really excited about pushing the app even further - much further in fact.
Thrill Seeker is of course our main focus, it's what we've always been working towards and is our main app. Towers Guide, really, is like a demo of Thrill Seeker, it's free and includes all of Thrill Seeker's functionality for Alton Towers. Basically, Thrill Seeker and Towers Guide will always be identical, the only difference is that Towers Guide is limited to Alton Towers.
Even though we're only in the early versions of each app, we're going to totally re-write them! The next version to hit the app store will be version 2. Why? Well, Towers Guide was a learning curve for us and whilst we are pleased with the end product, the fundamentals of the app could certainly be improved, and will need to be in order to support some of the more adventurous features we have in mind!
The good news is that much of the server-side work for version 2 of the app is already complete. That means that we're ready to start cracking on with the actual app and we've recently been going through different UI ideas to try and come up with an interface that intuitively packs in all of our planned features.
Those planned features will include an accurate park map, which will be able to display your exact location and will be fully scrollable/zoomable. We'll reveal other new features in blog entries over the coming weeks.
So, we're far from resting on our laurels and can't wait to bring some really exciting ideas to the app. Stay tuned for all of the latest development news!
Thrill Seeker is of course our main focus, it's what we've always been working towards and is our main app. Towers Guide, really, is like a demo of Thrill Seeker, it's free and includes all of Thrill Seeker's functionality for Alton Towers. Basically, Thrill Seeker and Towers Guide will always be identical, the only difference is that Towers Guide is limited to Alton Towers.
Even though we're only in the early versions of each app, we're going to totally re-write them! The next version to hit the app store will be version 2. Why? Well, Towers Guide was a learning curve for us and whilst we are pleased with the end product, the fundamentals of the app could certainly be improved, and will need to be in order to support some of the more adventurous features we have in mind!
The good news is that much of the server-side work for version 2 of the app is already complete. That means that we're ready to start cracking on with the actual app and we've recently been going through different UI ideas to try and come up with an interface that intuitively packs in all of our planned features.
Those planned features will include an accurate park map, which will be able to display your exact location and will be fully scrollable/zoomable. We'll reveal other new features in blog entries over the coming weeks.
So, we're far from resting on our laurels and can't wait to bring some really exciting ideas to the app. Stay tuned for all of the latest development news!
Posted by Mark Locker on 19th August 2009.
As I've mentioned in some of the previous entries, Towers Guide wasn't the only app we've been working on for over a year now. When we started working on Towers Guide, we also started working on something else - Thrill Seeker!
Thrill Seeker is much like Towers Guide, but as well as Alton Towers it also covers Chessington World of Adventures, Drayton Manor, Thorpe Park and Walt Disney World Resort. In total, that's over 1,000 rides, attractions and facilities!
What's more, we plan to continually add more and more parks... So, why not let us know what you'd like to see next?
You can download Thrill Seeker from the iTunes App Store. For more information, visit the Thrill Seeker website.
Thrill Seeker is much like Towers Guide, but as well as Alton Towers it also covers Chessington World of Adventures, Drayton Manor, Thorpe Park and Walt Disney World Resort. In total, that's over 1,000 rides, attractions and facilities!
What's more, we plan to continually add more and more parks... So, why not let us know what you'd like to see next?
You can download Thrill Seeker from the iTunes App Store. For more information, visit the Thrill Seeker website.
Posted by Mark Locker on 3rd August 2009.
Towers Guide version 1.1 is now available from the App Store! This new version includes two new features - search and manual locations.
These features have already been covered in a previous entry - but here's a re-cap of what they do:
Search allows you to perform a text based search though all of the rides, attractions & facilities at Alton Towers. This makes it even easier to quickly locate the information you want.
Manual Locations allows location based features to be used when a GPS signal is not available. This makes it ideal for iPod touch and first generation iPhone users, who can now take full advantage of the app.
We'll be giving you an idea of what we have planned for the next version of Towers Guide soon, so keep checking back for details!
These features have already been covered in a previous entry - but here's a re-cap of what they do:
Search allows you to perform a text based search though all of the rides, attractions & facilities at Alton Towers. This makes it even easier to quickly locate the information you want.
Manual Locations allows location based features to be used when a GPS signal is not available. This makes it ideal for iPod touch and first generation iPhone users, who can now take full advantage of the app.
We'll be giving you an idea of what we have planned for the next version of Towers Guide soon, so keep checking back for details!
Posted by Mark Locker on 8th July 2009.
In the last entry I told you that we hoped to have version 1.1 of Towers Guide available by the end of July. Well, today I can tell you that we're on target as the update has been submitted to Apple!
Here's a reminder of what's new:
- Search through all of the rides, attractions and facilities.
- New 'Manual Locations' mode which allows you to use location based features on your iPod touch.
- Updated resort information.
- Code optimisation.
As soon as it becomes available we'll let you know. In the meantime, we'll be preparing our second app (which I mentioned in the last entry) for submission! Remember, if you'd like to help test it out - get in touch.
Here's a reminder of what's new:
- Search through all of the rides, attractions and facilities.
- New 'Manual Locations' mode which allows you to use location based features on your iPod touch.
- Updated resort information.
- Code optimisation.
As soon as it becomes available we'll let you know. In the meantime, we'll be preparing our second app (which I mentioned in the last entry) for submission! Remember, if you'd like to help test it out - get in touch.
Posted by Mark Locker on 16th June 2009.
Last Wednesday Towers Guide received it's 1,000th download from the App Store. We're really pleased with this, and are working hard to finish off version 1.1 which we hope to make available by the end of July.
There's been quite a lot to report since the last blog entry. First of all, we're incorporating more features into our next version. As well as multiple entrance support and integrated search, we're really excited to announce 'nearby' and 'directions' support for the original iPhone and iPod touch!
So, how exactly will that work? Well, when you're on park you're always going to be able to identify something near to you. Ride and shop signs are always visible, so you simply tell Towers Guide where you are. Once you've done that the location based features are instantly made available - and you can easily change your current location at any time with the tap of an 'Edit' button!
To enable this feature, all you will need to do is turn on 'Manual Locations' in your application's settings:
Once you've done that the Nearby screen will look something like this:
You'll be able to select the item you're close to from a searchable list. We wanted something which wouldn't get in the way of people with a GPS capable device but could be easily enabled for those who need it. We think this is the best solution, and can't wait for our many iPod touch users to try it out!
We've also been making sure that version 1.1 is compatible with the new iPhone OS 3.0. In fact, it's still compatible with every version of iPhone OS that supports third party apps (2.0+)!
Finally, we've been working on another App alongside Towers Guide and require some beta testers to help us iron out any remaining issues. The only catch is that you must be able to visit either Thorpe Park, Chessington world of Adventures or Drayton Manor. So, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch and can visit one of these parks soon, please get in touch!
There's been quite a lot to report since the last blog entry. First of all, we're incorporating more features into our next version. As well as multiple entrance support and integrated search, we're really excited to announce 'nearby' and 'directions' support for the original iPhone and iPod touch!
So, how exactly will that work? Well, when you're on park you're always going to be able to identify something near to you. Ride and shop signs are always visible, so you simply tell Towers Guide where you are. Once you've done that the location based features are instantly made available - and you can easily change your current location at any time with the tap of an 'Edit' button!
To enable this feature, all you will need to do is turn on 'Manual Locations' in your application's settings:
Once you've done that the Nearby screen will look something like this:
You'll be able to select the item you're close to from a searchable list. We wanted something which wouldn't get in the way of people with a GPS capable device but could be easily enabled for those who need it. We think this is the best solution, and can't wait for our many iPod touch users to try it out!
We've also been making sure that version 1.1 is compatible with the new iPhone OS 3.0. In fact, it's still compatible with every version of iPhone OS that supports third party apps (2.0+)!
Finally, we've been working on another App alongside Towers Guide and require some beta testers to help us iron out any remaining issues. The only catch is that you must be able to visit either Thorpe Park, Chessington world of Adventures or Drayton Manor. So, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch and can visit one of these parks soon, please get in touch!
Posted by Mark Locker on 18th May 2009.
Towers Guide is coming to the end of its seventh day in the App Store, and work on version 1.1 of the app is already steaming ahead. In the last entry I told you that we'd successfully tested multiple entrance support on park and this time I'm going to tell you about search!
Search is a feature which was planned to be integrated into the original release, but was pulled after running into some difficulties. We've now re-thought how we're going to implement the search feature and think we've come up with the best possible solution!
A new magnifying glass will appear in the top right hand corner of the main 'Browse' screen:
Tapping this will bring up the basic search screen:
This will operate in the same way that the iPhones native 'Contacts' App does - allowing you to perform text based searches as well as scrubbing through entries alphabetically using the letters on the right hand side of the screen.
You'll notice that there is also an 'Advanced' button in the top right hand corner of the search screen. The exact UI for this is yet to be decided, but we plan to allow you to filter search results via criteria such as 'ride type', 'ride height' etc. As soon as we've something to show, you'll be the first to know!
If you have any thoughts, comments or ideas to share with us - feel free to leave us a comment!
Search is a feature which was planned to be integrated into the original release, but was pulled after running into some difficulties. We've now re-thought how we're going to implement the search feature and think we've come up with the best possible solution!
A new magnifying glass will appear in the top right hand corner of the main 'Browse' screen:
Tapping this will bring up the basic search screen:
This will operate in the same way that the iPhones native 'Contacts' App does - allowing you to perform text based searches as well as scrubbing through entries alphabetically using the letters on the right hand side of the screen.
You'll notice that there is also an 'Advanced' button in the top right hand corner of the search screen. The exact UI for this is yet to be decided, but we plan to allow you to filter search results via criteria such as 'ride type', 'ride height' etc. As soon as we've something to show, you'll be the first to know!
If you have any thoughts, comments or ideas to share with us - feel free to leave us a comment!
Posted by Mark Locker on 16th May 2009.
Last night Towers Guide made it into the top 20 free apps in the travel category, placing us on the main travel page in iTunes:
This is a fantastic milestone for us, the amount of downloads for such a niche app has been terrific and we can't wait to build on this early success with all of the plans we have for the future!
With that I present to you an amazing, exclusive and highly exciting screenshot of version 1.1:
Amazed, right? In all seriousness, work on version 1.1 is going well and moving swiftly. We've already made a number of back-end improvements and today successfully tested the multiple entrance support which was mentioned in the last entry. Next, as promised, we'll be looking at implementing search!
On a final note, we've received some fantastic feedback and will take every suggestion we receive on board. So, if you'd like to share your thoughts and suggestions - please do get in touch.
This is a fantastic milestone for us, the amount of downloads for such a niche app has been terrific and we can't wait to build on this early success with all of the plans we have for the future!
With that I present to you an amazing, exclusive and highly exciting screenshot of version 1.1:
Amazed, right? In all seriousness, work on version 1.1 is going well and moving swiftly. We've already made a number of back-end improvements and today successfully tested the multiple entrance support which was mentioned in the last entry. Next, as promised, we'll be looking at implementing search!
On a final note, we've received some fantastic feedback and will take every suggestion we receive on board. So, if you'd like to share your thoughts and suggestions - please do get in touch.
Posted by Mark Locker on 13th May 2009.
As we approach the end of Towers Guide's second day in the App Store, I think it's fair to say that it's been a fantastic launch - certainly better then we'd hoped!
We've already received tonnes of positive feedback and 5 star reviews in the App Store and have even been featured in an article on the 'Play and Stay' website which can be found here.
What's more, we're currently sitting as the 26th most popular free app in the Travel category of the iTunes store:
Not bad going for the first couple of days! But what's next?
Well, we certainly wont be resting on our laurels - we have tonnes of features which we can't wait to start implementing! There are two main things which we definitely plan to add to version 1.1 of the app:
- Ability to search for rides/attractions/facilities.
- Support for multiple ride/attraction/facility entrances.
If you're puzzled as to what support for multiple entrances will entail, then listen up! Certain things on park (such as the ruins), have multiple entrances. At the moment only one can be set, so if you were standing right by the entrance adjacent to X-Sector, you'd be told to walk to the one by Hex's exit. This should no longer be the case with version 1.1, making direction based features more accurate.
Features such as photo galleries, park news, ride reviews and a viewable park map are being looked into - amongst many others exciting ideas! We think Towers Guide has an exciting future, so don't forget to keep checking back for the latest updates.
We've already received tonnes of positive feedback and 5 star reviews in the App Store and have even been featured in an article on the 'Play and Stay' website which can be found here.
What's more, we're currently sitting as the 26th most popular free app in the Travel category of the iTunes store:
Not bad going for the first couple of days! But what's next?
Well, we certainly wont be resting on our laurels - we have tonnes of features which we can't wait to start implementing! There are two main things which we definitely plan to add to version 1.1 of the app:
- Ability to search for rides/attractions/facilities.
- Support for multiple ride/attraction/facility entrances.
If you're puzzled as to what support for multiple entrances will entail, then listen up! Certain things on park (such as the ruins), have multiple entrances. At the moment only one can be set, so if you were standing right by the entrance adjacent to X-Sector, you'd be told to walk to the one by Hex's exit. This should no longer be the case with version 1.1, making direction based features more accurate.
Features such as photo galleries, park news, ride reviews and a viewable park map are being looked into - amongst many others exciting ideas! We think Towers Guide has an exciting future, so don't forget to keep checking back for the latest updates.
Posted by Mark Locker on 12th May 2009.
Today is a very exciting day for us. After 9 months of development, Towers Guide has finally hit the App Store! To download, simply click the "Download Now" button which can be found at the top-right of each page.
For us, this is only the beginning. We already have loads of ideas which we can't wait to implement into future versions of Towers Guide. Keep checking back to this blog for the latest updates.
In the meantime, we'd love to hear your thoughts. So please feel free to leave a comment. Or of course, a review in the app store!
For us, this is only the beginning. We already have loads of ideas which we can't wait to implement into future versions of Towers Guide. Keep checking back to this blog for the latest updates.
In the meantime, we'd love to hear your thoughts. So please feel free to leave a comment. Or of course, a review in the app store!
Posted by Mark Locker on 5th May 2009.
Yesterday, Towers Guide was re-submitted. Seeing as we'd not heard back from Apple regarding our questions surrounding the original rejection, we have to admit that we're not 100% confident, but still hopeful! After all, it shouldn't have been rejected last time.
We've now explained how the nearby feature works in great detail and have clearly stated that user accounts are not used within the app.
There's not a lot else to say really, it's just a case of sitting tight again and waiting for next week to arrive. We have everything crossed...
We've now explained how the nearby feature works in great detail and have clearly stated that user accounts are not used within the app.
There's not a lot else to say really, it's just a case of sitting tight again and waiting for next week to arrive. We have everything crossed...
Posted by Mark Locker on 29th April 2009.
Last night we got the email that all app developers dread - a rejection notification from Apple!
Thankfully (though frustratingly), Apple seem to have misunderstood the additional information which we provided them with for testing (a set of co-ordinates within Alton Towers). The app was rejected because "we need to be able to access a fully functional demo account". Towers Guide, of course, doesn't employe user accounts at all...
We've now explained everything to Apple and await a reply. Since we're going to have to re-submit the binary, we're going to make version 1.1 which we've been working on the initial 1.0 release! So, there are a few improvements to report.
First off, directions are more intelligent. Previously, if you were in the car park and tried to navigate to Air, it would tell you to naughtily sneak in "round the back" - because that's the nearest way in! Towers Guide now knows what routes you can and can't take though.
Secondly, we've fixed quite a significant bug which would cause the App to crash when the 'Nearby' screen had been displayed for over 20 seconds.
So all in all, a frustrating past 24 hours. Towers Guide could (and should) have been accepted into the store by now, but at least you'll get a couple of improvements when it finally does arrive.
Thankfully (though frustratingly), Apple seem to have misunderstood the additional information which we provided them with for testing (a set of co-ordinates within Alton Towers). The app was rejected because "we need to be able to access a fully functional demo account". Towers Guide, of course, doesn't employe user accounts at all...
We've now explained everything to Apple and await a reply. Since we're going to have to re-submit the binary, we're going to make version 1.1 which we've been working on the initial 1.0 release! So, there are a few improvements to report.
First off, directions are more intelligent. Previously, if you were in the car park and tried to navigate to Air, it would tell you to naughtily sneak in "round the back" - because that's the nearest way in! Towers Guide now knows what routes you can and can't take though.
Secondly, we've fixed quite a significant bug which would cause the App to crash when the 'Nearby' screen had been displayed for over 20 seconds.
So all in all, a frustrating past 24 hours. Towers Guide could (and should) have been accepted into the store by now, but at least you'll get a couple of improvements when it finally does arrive.
Posted by Mark Locker on 21st April 2009.
Ok, so today we pulled the binary that we submitted to Apple just three days ago. Reason being, Robert had been playing around and stumbled into a couple of quite significant bugs.
Basically, it was all related to how Towers Guide operated when you set your measurement preferences to Imperial. Statistics didn't round, and more importantly, the nearby screen didn't render properly. Instead of grouping attractions by distance with titles such as "100 ft to 200 ft" it was actually showing "@1", "@2", etc - which isn't all that useful for the end-user!
Still, it's all fixed now and re-submitted. We'll be put to the back of the queue again, but at least it should now be right first time which is worth the delay.
Basically, it was all related to how Towers Guide operated when you set your measurement preferences to Imperial. Statistics didn't round, and more importantly, the nearby screen didn't render properly. Instead of grouping attractions by distance with titles such as "100 ft to 200 ft" it was actually showing "@1", "@2", etc - which isn't all that useful for the end-user!
Still, it's all fixed now and re-submitted. We'll be put to the back of the queue again, but at least it should now be right first time which is worth the delay.
Posted by Mark Locker on 18th April 2009.
We did it! After a very successful day of testing again today, and some final tweaks, Towers Guide has been submitted to the App Store.
Caught up in the moment, I sprung up to capture the anticipation as the binary was uploaded! Just look:
It looks like the current review time is approximately 7-8 days, so we'll sit tight and set our inboxes to check for email like it's never checked before!
It's going to be a long week...
Caught up in the moment, I sprung up to capture the anticipation as the binary was uploaded! Just look:
It looks like the current review time is approximately 7-8 days, so we'll sit tight and set our inboxes to check for email like it's never checked before!
It's going to be a long week...
Posted by Mark Locker on 30th March 2009.
Alton Towers opened it's gates for the 2009 season over the weekend, and on Sunday we had a day dedicated to Towers Guide testing.
Unfortunately, a number of new bugs came to light which we're now working on. Still, we've re-scheduled for more testing next Saturday, when hopefully these remaining issues will be ironed out - we're getting close!
Generally, things were working pretty well, here's a shot of us running Towers Guide by the entrance of Squirrel Nutty:
As you can see, it's nice and accurate. We also did some filming for a Towers Guide advert, which was great fun. Here's a low quality snapshot of some of the footage:
Hopefully in the next entry I'll be telling you that the app has been submitted to the App Store, fingers crossed!
Unfortunately, a number of new bugs came to light which we're now working on. Still, we've re-scheduled for more testing next Saturday, when hopefully these remaining issues will be ironed out - we're getting close!
Generally, things were working pretty well, here's a shot of us running Towers Guide by the entrance of Squirrel Nutty:
As you can see, it's nice and accurate. We also did some filming for a Towers Guide advert, which was great fun. Here's a low quality snapshot of some of the footage:
Hopefully in the next entry I'll be telling you that the app has been submitted to the App Store, fingers crossed!
Posted by Mark Locker on 21st March 2009.
With the 2009 season just one week away, Robert and I decided to head down to Alton Towers to carry out some final Towers Guide testing.
We knew that the 'nearby' feature had some underlying issues, and the only way to solve them would be to do some on-site debugging with the app running on an actual device.
We ran into a number of problems and ended up spending a couple of hours there. The first issue was that 'Nearby' wasn't actually displaying any nearby rides at all, it was just coming up with an empty list. Very strange seeing as last time we were on-site it worked fine.
This is the screen we got:
In order to further investigate we tried calculating directions, and sure enough, it failed. Something was wrong with the location code! After a good while of Robert going through the suspect block of code and debugging it, we still had no joy. It took my inspiring input of "why don't you re-write that bit" (seeing as it wasn't very big) to fix the problem. 30 seconds of typing later and directions were up and running better than ever (literally believe it or not).
At this point, things were looking good:
Ultimately, we went away with everything working apart from the 'Nearby' screen, which for some reason just wasn't displaying results. We'll hopefully have that sorted in time for the parks opening next week, when we can re-test before being ready to submit it to the app store!
We knew that the 'nearby' feature had some underlying issues, and the only way to solve them would be to do some on-site debugging with the app running on an actual device.
We ran into a number of problems and ended up spending a couple of hours there. The first issue was that 'Nearby' wasn't actually displaying any nearby rides at all, it was just coming up with an empty list. Very strange seeing as last time we were on-site it worked fine.
This is the screen we got:
In order to further investigate we tried calculating directions, and sure enough, it failed. Something was wrong with the location code! After a good while of Robert going through the suspect block of code and debugging it, we still had no joy. It took my inspiring input of "why don't you re-write that bit" (seeing as it wasn't very big) to fix the problem. 30 seconds of typing later and directions were up and running better than ever (literally believe it or not).
At this point, things were looking good:
Ultimately, we went away with everything working apart from the 'Nearby' screen, which for some reason just wasn't displaying results. We'll hopefully have that sorted in time for the parks opening next week, when we can re-test before being ready to submit it to the app store!